A Review of Measles Outbreak Cost Estimates From the United States in the Postelimination Era (2004–2017): Estimates by Perspective and Cost Type
Clinical Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1093/cid/ciaa070
- PMID
- 31967305
- PMCID
- PMC8103967
- OpenAlex
- W3001138037
- Study type
- Commentary
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The estimates indicate that measles outbreaks can impose substantial costs and may support public health department budgeting, cost-of-illness analysis, and cost-effectiveness studies of measles prevention. The abstract also emphasizes the need for more consistent documentation of outbreak costs.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The review examined published estimates of the costs of measles outbreaks in the United States after elimination, including differences by perspective and cost type.
Study design
The authors conducted a literature review of 10 published studies reporting cost estimates for 11 measles outbreaks from 2001 through 2018.
Population and setting
The evidence concerns measles outbreaks in the United States during the postelimination period, with studies covering outbreaks from 2001 through 2018.
Main findings
Across the reviewed outbreaks, the median total outbreak cost was $152,308, the median cost per case was $32,805, and the median cost per contact was $223. Reported information on direct and indirect costs was limited.
Public-health relevance
The estimates indicate that measles outbreaks can impose substantial costs and may support public health department budgeting, cost-of-illness analysis, and cost-effectiveness studies of measles prevention. The abstract also emphasizes the need for more consistent documentation of outbreak costs.
Important limitations
The review included only 10 published studies covering 11 outbreaks, and the abstract reports limited information on direct and indirect costs. This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata and requires the original paper for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
The article is discoverable in the supplied metadata under measles, United States, outbreak investigation, and vaccination. It provides historical cost context for measles outbreaks but does not establish or confirm a current surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 9 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.