Assessment finds better clinical outcomes but questions their cost-effectiveness Switching to enhanced flu vaccines as part of seasonal inoculation for over-65s would be a good use of HSE resources, but only if it can be cost-effective, a HIQA report has found. The draft assessment reviewed studies into the safety and efficacy of vaccines with an added adjuvant, and high-dose vaccines which contain four times the levels of the ingredient hemagglutinin (which leads to an immune response) compared to the standard doses that are currently used in winter flu vaccinations here. The review found that adjuvanted vaccines may be more effective than standard vaccines in preventing hospitalisation due to flu in older adults.
Evidence also pointed to high-dose vaccines proving more effective than standard vaccines in preventing cases of the flu in over-65s. HIQA estimated that, while more expensive than standard inoculations, switching to an adjuvanted vaccine would overall cost the HSE less each year because of the reduced level of hospitalisation. However, while the high-dose vaccine would likely be even more effective than the adjuvanted flu shot, its higher price would mean that health services would likely end up paying more money overall, unless better value can be found through price negotiations with its manufacturer.
“We found that of the various vaccination options examined, offering an adjuvanted flu vaccine instead of a standard flu vaccine to people aged 65 years and olde.
