Comparative Study on Costs of Vaccination between Pre-Exposure and Post Exposure Rabies among High Risk group

Abstract

Rabies is a fatal viral disease that transmits to humans by a bite or lick wounds or mucous membranes from an infected animal. Pre-vaccination is an alternative to reduce the incidence of the disease, but to incur the cost of vaccination. This study aimed to compare the costs of a high risk group with prevaccination and those without pre-vaccination (hypothetical situation). A high risk group was vaccinated at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University during 2009-2010. The data were collected by telephone interview in terms of rabies exposure and costs such as vaccine, immunoglobulin, medicines, wound cleansing and supplies, transportation, income loss. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. From 177 all high risk samples, 91 were interviewed (51.4%). The incidence of animal bitten was 16.5%. Of those, 33.3% were treated at hospital. The costs of pre-vaccination group were 86,297 Baht while the costs of a group without pre-vaccination were 45,662 Baht for ERIG and 72,217 Baht for HRIG. If each exposed sample went to hospital, the costs of a group without pre-vaccination were 82,484 Baht (HRIG group) and 19,926 Baht (ERIG group) higher than those with pre-vaccination. Prevaccination might be an appropriate choice for taking care of those who have high exposure to rabies.