The economic impact of providing dengue vaccination in the workplace in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the economic value of implementing a workplace dengue vaccination program from an employer perspective. Methods: The cost of a vaccination program was compared with the economic benefits in terms of reduced absenteeism and presenteeism in companies in Brazil. Input data were obtained from published literature and national databases. The time horizon was five years, including a 2-year vaccination program. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of key parameters’ uncertainty. Results: 846 cases were simulated among the employees over five years, accountable for 2,112 sick leave days and 7,120 sick days at work. Assuming a coverage rate of 30%, vaccination reduced the number of sick leave days and sick days at work by 17.5% over five years compared to no vaccination. Considering an employee vaccine copayment of 50%, the levels of remaining investment per dose administered for the employer in the retail sector ranged from US$ 17.99 to US$ 27.99, according to different vaccine price scenarios, and from US$ 6.10 to US$ 16.10 in the service sector. In the energy sector, vaccination was cost-saving in all price scenarios, ranging from a profit for the employer of US$ 21.14 to US$ 31.14. Results were most sensitive to the level of co-payment, overall time horizon of the analysis, dengue incidence, and employee contribution to operating income. Conclusions: Dengue contributes a significant proportion of absenteeism and presenteeism in private companies. Our analysis suggests that dengue vaccination in the workplace may be considered as a valuable investment and, in some cases, a cost-saving option for employers.