Adding pharmacies as locations where the influenza vaccine can be administered during a flu epidemic could save hundreds of thousands of lives as well as billions in costs, according to a study published in Vaccine.
Researchers from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health created a computer simulation model to simulate different flu epidemics in the U.S. They used data from several sources, including the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, National Household Travel Survey and CMS Physician Fee Schedule, for the model. They also included six types of vaccination locations.
The study showed when pharmacies dispensed flu vaccinations during a mild epidemic 17.1 million symptomatic cases were averted and 104,761 deaths were prevented. Additionally, the move saved $1 billion in direct medical costs, $49.3 billion in productivity losses and up to $50.3 billion in societal costs.
In a more severe epidemic simulation, adding pharmacies to locations that can offer flu vaccines averted up to 23.7 million symptomatic cases and prevented up to 210,228 deaths. The move saved $2.8 billion in direct medical costs, $97.1 billion in productivity losses and $99.8 billion in overall costs.
"History has shown that another flu epidemic will occur," said Bruce Y. Lee, MD, executive director of the Global Obesity Prevention Center at the Bloomberg School and a study author. "It is just a matter of when. Our study shows that when it comes to a flu epidemic, location and convenience matter a lot. Adding pharmacies as vaccination locations could end up saving thousands of lives and billions of dollars depending on the severity of the epidemic."