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Single measles exposure led to $5,600 in clinic costs
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Substantial costs were incurred by an ambulatory care pediatric clinic and others that responded to a single measles exposure from an unvaccinated adolescent, further resulting in 122 additional exposures of patients, caregivers and employees.
Kristen A. Wendorf, MD, MS, of Public Health for Seattle and King County, Washington, and colleagues assessed containment costs for a 2013 case involving a male with measles, aged 13 years, who exposed patients and employees at a pediatric clinic. Fifty-two patients, 60 caretakers and 10 employees were exposed to the case.
Researchers retrospectively calculated costs using published costs of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, cost-to-charge ratios for inpatient care in urban Washington and local ED charges for postexposure immunoglobulin. They additionally calculated personnel costs for employees who worked on the response at $1,961; the cost of management of exposed persons was $3,694 and overall clinic costs were $5,655.
The mean age of exposed patients was 9.6 years; 35% were aged younger than 1 year. Sixty-five percent were fully vaccinated.
Ten percent of patients were aged younger than 6 months and required immunoglobulin; 25% were aged 6 months to 11 months and required MMR vaccination. One exposed employee had documented evidence of immunity, and nine others required measles antibody testing or vaccination, according to the researchers.
“Imported measles infections remain a threat to U.S. populations and are often first recognized and evaluated in outpatient clinics,” Wendorf and colleagues wrote. “Costs to prevent outbreaks related to these clinic exposures are substantial. Vaccination of all eligible persons … remains the most important method for preventing outbreaks and containing costs.” – by Jennifer Southall
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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