[Health economics of early summer meningoencephalitis in Austria. Effects of a vaccination campaign 1981 to 1990].

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) was until the early 1980s among the most frequent causes of viral induced central-nervous infectious diseases in Austria. Since 1981 the vaccination was forced by intensive media campaigns. Aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the media campaigns and to evaluate them under health economic criteria. The number of hospitalized TBE-cases declines from 1981 to 1990, the linear trend shows a reduction from 427 to 109. If the linear trend from 1971 to 1980 would have continued the respective number in 1990 would have been 585 cases. Thus the model shows that from 1981 to 1990 more than 50% or 2,690 out of 5,368 possible cases are prohibited, from 1991 to 2000 based on the 1990 vaccination rate approximately 85% or 500 cases annually. In the age group 7 to 14 years the proportion of protected exposed is almost 97%. The loss of quality of life is higher than represented by the inpatient statistics. Many of the TBE victims have chronic impairments, mainly due to paresis and depression. Based on the 1990 cost data economic benefits for the social insurance companies in the decade 1981 to 1990 are AS 147 millions for inpatient care, respectively AS 108 millions for loss of productivity and AS 77 millions for early retirement, resulting in total benefits of AS 331 millions. The estimated benefits for 1991 to 2000 based on 1990 cost data are AS 270 millions for inpatient care, AS 200 millions for loss of productivity, and AS 368 for early retirement (total AS 828 millions).