SERVE - Socio-Economic Value of Respiratory Vaccination: Evaluation for Adults
We are conducting the empirical study SERVE – Socio-Economic Value of Respiratory Vaccination: Evaluation for Swiss Adults. SERVE has been commissioned by a consortium of key stakeholders in Switzerland.
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Health Professions
- Institute(s) Institute of Health Economics and Health Policy
- Strategic thematic field Thematic field "Caring Society"
- Funding organisation Others
- Duration (planned) 01.08.2025 - 31.08.2027
- Head of project Niklaus Meier
-
Project staff
Prof. Dr. Katharina Blankart
Daniel Ammann -
Partner
GaleniCare Management AG
Genossenschaft KPT
GlaxoSmithKline AG
Moderna Switzerland GmbH
MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme AG
Pfizer AG Zürich
Sanofi-Aventis (Suisse) SA
Pharmasuisse
Stiftung Sanitas
Situation
Vaccination can generate substantial benefits across multiple dimensions of health care, including reduced mortality, improved quality of life, lower health care utilization, and increased economic productivity. Despite these well-documented benefits and the broad availability of vaccines, uptake remains suboptimal in certain disease areas, particularly for common respiratory diseases and among adults. To support informed decision-making, there is a need for robust evidence on the magnitude of these health and economic effects in the Swiss context. Such information is essential for the general population, the health care system, and policymakers.
Course of action
The aim of SERVE is to assess the potential socio-economic value of increasing vaccination coverage among Swiss adults for four respiratory diseases: influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), pneumococcal disease, and endemic COVID-19. This research project brings together a great deal of expertise from academia as well as the SERVE consortium. By combining this interdisciplinary expertise with innovative methods from health economics and epidemiology, SERVE seeks to generate new evidence on a complex and policy-relevant topic.
Result
For each included disease, we will estimate the burden of illness, including vaccination costs, health care expenditures, and adverse health outcomes. In addition, we will assess productivity losses associated with illness and quantify the potential productivity gains for employers resulting from vaccination programs that reduce infections among the workforce. Using epidemiological transmission models, we will evaluate the overall impact of higher adult vaccination rates on disease burden and productivity. Considering vaccination costs (including vaccines and administration) and changes in health and economic outcomes, we will estimate the return on investment (ROI) per Swiss franc invested in adult vaccination for each disease.
Looking ahead
We are currently developing a detailed study protocol for SERVE, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Based on this protocol, we will conduct the SERVE study and publish the results, along with non-confidential data, as open-access resources. All rights to the research findings will be placed in the public domain, and all methods used or developed within SERVE will be published as open source. We will communicate the summarized results of SERVE to a broader audience through concise and accessible policy briefs.
