Estimating the cost of university-based outbreaks of serogroup B meningococcal disease with different pre-matriculation vaccination policies in the United States.

Objective

We developed an Excel-based cost calculator to assess the economic burden of university-based Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) outbreaks.

Participants

Hypothetical university with 6,354 students.

Methods

Total societal costs of outbreak were estimated for three MenB pre-matriculation immunization policies-vaccination required, vaccination recommended, and no vaccine policy-under three different cost assumptions (low/mid-range/high cost).

Results

Mid-range cost estimates of an outbreak under "no policy" were $2.60 and $2.70 million (of which 35% were incurred by the university) if targeting all undergraduates for mass vaccination with a two-/three-dose vaccine, respectively. The "required" and "recommended" policies lowered the burden to $2.17-$2.18 million and $2.34-$2.39 million, respectively. For a larger university with 40,000 students, costs were almost $9 million for a two-dose vaccine with "no policy" in place.

Conclusions

The economic burden of a university MenB outbreak is substantial, but could be mitigated by a pre-matriculation MenB vaccination requirement or recommendation.