About the project
We used mathematical simulation models to estimating the disease burden of influenza pandemic and the cost-effectiveness of school closure intervention
Objectives
This project has two aims:
- To estimate the cost of seasonal and pandemic influenza in Norway
- To estimate costs and benefits of closing schools to reduce the spread of influenza
Background
Seasonal influenza is a common disease in the Northern hemisphere during winter time. However, its costs are difficult to estimate because doctors’ diagnosis may not be correct or if doctors state incorrect diagnoses in their records.
During an influenza pandemic, school closure is a potential intervention. Compared with vaccination and use of anti-viral drugs, school closure could be implemented immediately. However, school closure may keep working parents away from work and induce lost productivity, and it may reduce children’s learning.
Financing
- Norwegian Research Council
- Norwegian National Institute of Public Health
Collaboration
- Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo
- Department of Health Management and Health Economics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian National Institute of Public Health
Publications
Yiting Xue, Ivar Sønbø Kristiansen and Birgitte Freiesleben de Blasio: Modeling the cost of influenza: the impact of missing costs of unreported complications and sick leave , BMC Public Health 2010, 10:724doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-724