What factors favor vaccinating after determining the person’s immune status?
(1) the vaccine much more expensive than the test
(2) multiple shots are needed to give immunity
(3) most people in the population are expected to be immune
(4) the vaccine has a potential for significant side effects
When testing before vaccinating may not be such an attractive option:
(1) the test is more expensive than the vaccine
(2) a single shot provides immunity or boosts immunity
(3) the test result does not correlate with resistance to infection
cost for vaccinating a group (with N members) with testing:is the sum of:
(1) (cost of test) * N
(2) (cost of vaccine) * (number of people not immune)
(3) (cost of administration) * (number of people not immune) * (number of shots required)
(4) (additional cost of program administration per person for followup) * (number of people not immune)
where:
• The number of people not immune = N * (1 – (fraction immune in general population))
• Additional cost of program administration involves follow-up and tracking group members.
• In the worst cases scenario no one is immune.
cost for vaccinating a group (with N members) without testing is the sum of:
(1) (cost of vaccine) * N
(2) (cost of administration) * N * (number of shots required)
(3) (additional cost of program administration for followup if more than 1 shot needed) * N