A national estimate of the hospitalisation costs for the influenza (H1N1) pandemic in 2009
Nick Wilson, Nhung Nghiem, Alisa Higgins, Giorgi Kvizhinadze, Michael G Baker, Tony Blakely
The 2009 influenza pandemic resulted in 1122 people being admitted to New Zealand hospitals (with a laboratory confirmed diagnosis for the pandemic strain). In this study, we aimed to estimate the hospitalisation costs borne by the New Zealand Government for this pandemic. We estimated the total average cost to the hospital sector in New Zealand of NZ$ 30.5 million (95% uncertainty interval: 22.3 to 39.5 million). In an additional cost-effectiveness analysis (using a hypothetical situation relating to no hospital care), the results were suggestive that hospital care was likely to be a relatively cost-effective means of preventing death from pandemic influenza (i.e., at around NZ$155,000 per life saved from pandemic influenza). In conclusion, these high hospitalisation costs for a relatively non-severe pandemic indicate the potential value of preventive measures (e.g., vaccination) and of investing in pandemic planning and other control measures to reduce person-to-person spread.