Given the setting of Stockholm County, a recently published health-economic analysis shows that the cost per Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) of a free TBE vaccinations program is below generally acceptable cost-effectiveness thresholds in Sweden. A report from the Public Health Agency (PHA), based on similar input data, shows that it is not cost effective to subsidize TBE vaccination in the Stockholm county. The main difference in the two analyses is the time horizon for the analyses; a life-time perspective versus 10-year perspective. Health economics of vaccination strategies should be based on a long time perspective and especially when the disease is more severe in older adults, i.e. TBE. Health-care decision-makers should be aware of the importance of the time horizon for the results when considering these evaluations in prioritization decisions. With a life-time perspective a TBE-vaccination program appears cost-effective.

Beräknat på ett livstidsperspektiv är kostnaden per kvalitetsjusterat levnadsår (QALY) för samhällsfinansierad TBE-vaccination i ett område med TBE-incidens och sjukvårdskostnader motsvarande Stockholms län 28 000–161 000 kronor, beroende på ålder vid vaccinationsstart.

I hälsoekonomiska analyser bör det tydligt framgå vilket tidsperspektiv som använts när vaccination utvärderas, eftersom detta kan vara avgörande för slutsatserna.