Exploring the potential impact of rotavirus vaccination on work absenteeism among female administrative personnel of the City of Antwerp through a retrospective database analysis

• Published in: BMJ open Vol. 5; no. 6; p. e007453
• Main Authors: Standaert, Baudouin, Van de Mieroop, Els, Nelen, Vera
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 30.06.2015; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Administrative Personnel - statistics & numerical data; Adult; Belgium; Case-Control Studies; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Cost estimates; Families & family life; Female; Female employees; Health Economics; Humans; Immunization; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Mothers; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Rotavirus; Rotavirus Infections - economics; Rotavirus Infections - prevention & control; Rotavirus Vaccines; Vaccination - economics; Vaccines; Viruses; Womens health; Working mothers; Belgium; HEALTH ECONOMICS
• ISSN: 2044-6055; 2044-6055
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007453

ObjectivesRotavirus vaccination has been reimbursed in Belgium since November 2006 with a high uptake (>85%). Economic analyses of the vaccine have been reported, including estimates of indirect cost gain related to the reduction in work absenteeism. The objective of this study was to evaluate the latter parameter using real-life data.Design and settingA simple model estimated the reduction in absent workdays per working mother with a firstborn baby after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine. Next, data on work absences were retrospectively analysed (from 2003 to 2012) using a database of administrative employees (n=11 600 working women per year) in the City of Antwerp. Observed reductions in absenteeism after the introduction of the vaccine were compared with the results from the model. These reductions would most likely be observed during the epidemic periods of rotavirus (from January to the end of May) for short-duration absences of ≤5 days. We compared data from outside epidemic periods (from June to December), expecting no changes over time prevaccine and postvaccine introduction, as well as with a control group of women aged 30–35 years with no first child.ResultsModel estimates were 0.73 working days gained per working mother. In the database of the City of Antwerp, we identified a gain of 0.88 working days during the epidemic period, and an accumulated gain of 2.24 days over a 3-year follow-up period. In the control group, no decrease in absenteeism was measured. Giving vaccine access to working mothers resulted in an estimated accumulated net cost gain of €187 per mother.ConclusionsReduction in absenteeism among working mothers was observed during periods of the epidemic after the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in Belgium. This reduction is in line with estimates of indirect cost gains used in economic evaluations of the rotavirus vaccine.Trial registration numberHO-12-12768.