Potential cost of not vaccinating against COVID19 in the United States

ABSTRACT

Introduction: As of April 2022, the COVID19 global pandemic has resulted in over six million deaths globally, and over 81 million cases of COVID19 in the United States. Objective(s) The objective of the presentation is to share estimated direct and indirect costs due to COVID19 infection juxtaposed with the costs of COVID19 vaccine administration in the United States. Method(s) A literature review was conducted to identify potential cost savings from being immunized against COVID19. The costs of COVID19 vaccinations, direct costs related to healthcare and types of indirect costs were noted. Result(s) After reviewing over 40 resources, several costs were identified. The cost of COVID19 vaccine series, as defined by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), is currently USD40 for single-dose and USD40 per dose in a multiple-dose series. It is estimated that the average hospitalisation stay of an uninsured inpatient was ~USD7000-USD10,000 per day. The average cost of 12 major metropolitan cities in the United States were estimated for primary care facilities, urgent care facilities, and emergency room visits at USD195, USD239, USD1,425, respectively. As of April 2, 2022, 77% of the US have received at least one dose of COVID19 vaccine and 66% are considered to be fully vaccinated against COVID19 primary series. Conclusion(s) According to the data, the cost reduction in healthcare is consequential and cost-effective in vaccinating the population. This analysis contributes to the limited reports of a national cost-benefit analysis.