Annual economic impacts of seasonal influenza on US counties: spatial heterogeneity and patterns.

ABSTRACT: Economic impacts of seasonal influenza vary across US counties, but little estimation has been conducted at the county level. This research computed annual economic costs of seasonal influenza for 3143 US counties based on Census 2010, identified inherent spatial patterns, and investigated cost-benefits of vaccination strategies. The computing model modified existing methods for national level estimation, and further emphasized spatial variations between counties, in terms of population size, age structure, influenza activity, and income level. Upon such a model, four vaccination strategies that prioritize different types of counties were simulated and their net returns were examined. The results indicate that the annual economic costs of influenza varied from $13.9 thousand to $957.5 mill

SUBMITTER: Mao L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3479051 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature