Cost of medication for influenza infected elderly inpatients

Influenza vaccine is recommended for the elderly, a high-risk group for influenza infection. Unlike in many developed countries, the rate of influenza vaccination is extremely low in Japan. One of the primary reasons for this low level of vaccination use may be insufficient study on the cost-effectiveness of influenza vaccination in Japan. We determined the cost of medical tests and medications for inpatients with influenza in a referred hospital. We compared the medical costs by (1) level of daily life activity, (2) presence of pneumonia, and (3) living/dead status, 9 months after the infection. In addition, we set up a control group of patients for comparison of their medical costs to those of the influenza patients. Mean costs were 37,279 (+/- 26,784) yen for patients, and 2,361 (+/- 4,893) yen for controls. Mean costs were 32,424 (+/- 30,935) yen for inpatients without limitations to activity, 44,075 (+/- 20,937) yen for bed-bound inpatients, 44,614 (+/- 28,609) yen for inpatients with pneumonia, 27,009 (+/- 22,783) yen for inpatients without pneumonia, 57,624 (+/- 21,041) yen for inpatients who died within 9 months of the onset of influenza, and 16,934 (+/- 11,920) yen for inpatients who were alive 9 month after influenza infection.