@article{ref1,
title="The cost-effectiveness of strategies to reduce mortality from an intentional release of aerosolized anthrax spores",
journal="Medical decision making",
year="2006",
author="Braithwaite, R. Scott and Fridsma, Douglas and Roberts, Mark S.",
volume="26",
number="2",
pages="182-193",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Intentional exposures to aerosolized Bacillus anthracis spores have caused fatalities. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of strategies to reduce mortality from future inhalational anthrax exposures. METHODS: Computer cohort simulation of a 100,000-person single-site exposure (worst-case scenario) and a 100-person multiple-site exposure (resembling the recent US attack). For each scenario, universal vaccination and an emergency surveillance and response (ESR) system were compared with a default strategy that assumed eventual discovery of the exposure. RESULTS: If an exposure was unlikely to occur or was small in scale, neither vaccination nor an ESR system was cost-effective. If an exposure was certain and large in scale, an ESR system was more cost-effective than vaccination ($73 v. $29,600 per life-year saved), and a rapid response saved more lives than improved surveillance. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies to reduce deaths from anthrax attacks are cost-effective only if large exposures are certain. A faster response is more beneficial than enhanced surveillance.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0272-989X",
doi="10.1177/0272989X06286794",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0272989X06286794"
}