Learning Objectives for this Presentation:
Participants will understand the value of using the algorithm to support vaccine purchasing decisions by buyers and pricing decisions by manufacturers.

Background:
The availability of multivalent vaccines makes it increasingly difficult for procurement personnel to effectively determine the least-cost formulary. The anticipated U.S. release from Sanofi Pasteur of Pentacel™ (DTPa-HIB-IPV), a pentavalent vaccine with several antigens that overlap Pediarix® (DTPa-HBV-IPV) from GlaxoSmithKline, is expected to further increase the complexity of purchasing decisions. The vaccine formulary selection algorithm (www.vaccineselection.com), developed with CDC support, uses operations research tools to select vaccines among increasing arrays of new monovalent and combination vaccines with overlapping, non-complementary antigens. It determines a least-cost formulary by considering not only purchase price but also the value of fewer doses and injections and other economic factors. It also allows manufacturers to study prices at which products win a place in the best-value formulary.

Objectives:
Establish a user-friendly interactive website that allows vaccine purchasers to input customized economic parameters and retrieve a least-cost vaccine formulary that satisfies the recommended childhood immunization schedule.

Methods:
The website is based on state-of-the-art computational algorithms, and is made available via the Internet using industry-standard platforms for World-Wide-Web deployment.

Results:
Since its inception in late 2001, the website has been visited approximately 6,800 separate times by more than 2,800 different visitors (judging by IP address). The algorithm currently offers 13 different vaccine types and a total of 19 branded products for potential formulary inclusion. The best-value formulary can typically be computed in approximately 3 seconds.

Conclusions:
The vaccine formulary selection algorithm provides a quick, convenient, and objective solution to the vaccine selection problem. Knowledge of a least-cost formulary allows health organizations to save resources by minimizing the overall immunization costs to provide each child with the recommended protection of vaccines.