Costs of delivering COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana during the height of the pandemic: a retrospective study
Abstract Background The development, distribution and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines following the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic in February 2020 is the largest global immunization action in history. To assist with planning and resource mobilization efforts, a global-level model was use...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-03-01
|
| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12455-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849390457122979840 |
|---|---|
| author | Kelsey Vaughan Onalenna T. Mokena Goabaone Rankgoane-Pono Moses Keetile Ulla Kou Griffiths |
| author_facet | Kelsey Vaughan Onalenna T. Mokena Goabaone Rankgoane-Pono Moses Keetile Ulla Kou Griffiths |
| author_sort | Kelsey Vaughan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The development, distribution and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines following the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic in February 2020 is the largest global immunization action in history. To assist with planning and resource mobilization efforts, a global-level model was used to estimate expected COVID-19 vaccine delivery costs employing data from the literature on childhood and adult flu vaccine delivery. However, country-level studies were needed to validate these estimates, learn lessons for future pandemics, and plan for forthcoming COVID-19 vaccination of priority groups. Methods We tested several methodological innovations to estimate total costs and costs per dose of COVID-19 vaccine delivery in Botswana. Costs incurred by all government sectors, parastatals, donors, and non-governmental organizations were included. Both fiscal costs (financial outlays) and the value of selected, existing human resources and donated vaccines (economic costs) were included. Results Fiscal delivery costs of COVID-19 vaccination were estimated at US$49.8 million for a 13-month period, with over half accounting for newly hired human resources. Newly hired staff supported not just vaccine delivery, but also co-ordination and social mobilization efforts. The value of existing human resources deployed to support COVID-19 vaccination was US$36.6 million. Based on 2.6 million doses delivered, the fiscal and economic delivery cost per dose was US$19 and US$33, respectively. Vaccines were procured and donated at an average price per dose of US$13.46, increasing the economic cost per dose delivered to approximately US$47. Conclusions In Botswana, costs were substantially higher than modelled estimates for COVID-19 vaccine delivery and the costs of delivering routine childhood vaccines. This suggests that rolling out a new vaccine to an entire population in the middle of a pandemic requires additional financial investments beyond what has been typical for immunization services in the past. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3f4cc1c9937e413fa9c733f00726b6e9 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f4cc1c9937e413fa9c733f00726b6e92025-08-20T03:41:39ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632025-03-0125111110.1186/s12913-025-12455-9Costs of delivering COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana during the height of the pandemic: a retrospective studyKelsey Vaughan0Onalenna T. Mokena1Goabaone Rankgoane-Pono2Moses Keetile3Ulla Kou Griffiths4Bang for Buck ConsultingDepartment of Health Policy, Research and Development, Ministry of HealthUniversity of BotswanaDepartment of Health Policy, Research and Development, Ministry of HealthUNICEF, Health ProgrammeAbstract Background The development, distribution and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines following the outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic in February 2020 is the largest global immunization action in history. To assist with planning and resource mobilization efforts, a global-level model was used to estimate expected COVID-19 vaccine delivery costs employing data from the literature on childhood and adult flu vaccine delivery. However, country-level studies were needed to validate these estimates, learn lessons for future pandemics, and plan for forthcoming COVID-19 vaccination of priority groups. Methods We tested several methodological innovations to estimate total costs and costs per dose of COVID-19 vaccine delivery in Botswana. Costs incurred by all government sectors, parastatals, donors, and non-governmental organizations were included. Both fiscal costs (financial outlays) and the value of selected, existing human resources and donated vaccines (economic costs) were included. Results Fiscal delivery costs of COVID-19 vaccination were estimated at US$49.8 million for a 13-month period, with over half accounting for newly hired human resources. Newly hired staff supported not just vaccine delivery, but also co-ordination and social mobilization efforts. The value of existing human resources deployed to support COVID-19 vaccination was US$36.6 million. Based on 2.6 million doses delivered, the fiscal and economic delivery cost per dose was US$19 and US$33, respectively. Vaccines were procured and donated at an average price per dose of US$13.46, increasing the economic cost per dose delivered to approximately US$47. Conclusions In Botswana, costs were substantially higher than modelled estimates for COVID-19 vaccine delivery and the costs of delivering routine childhood vaccines. This suggests that rolling out a new vaccine to an entire population in the middle of a pandemic requires additional financial investments beyond what has been typical for immunization services in the past.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12455-9COVID-19 vaccinationVaccineImmunizationDelivery costsImmunization economicsCosting |
| spellingShingle | Kelsey Vaughan Onalenna T. Mokena Goabaone Rankgoane-Pono Moses Keetile Ulla Kou Griffiths Costs of delivering COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana during the height of the pandemic: a retrospective study BMC Health Services Research COVID-19 vaccination Vaccine Immunization Delivery costs Immunization economics Costing |
| title | Costs of delivering COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana during the height of the pandemic: a retrospective study |
| title_full | Costs of delivering COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana during the height of the pandemic: a retrospective study |
| title_fullStr | Costs of delivering COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana during the height of the pandemic: a retrospective study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Costs of delivering COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana during the height of the pandemic: a retrospective study |
| title_short | Costs of delivering COVID-19 vaccine in Botswana during the height of the pandemic: a retrospective study |
| title_sort | costs of delivering covid 19 vaccine in botswana during the height of the pandemic a retrospective study |
| topic | COVID-19 vaccination Vaccine Immunization Delivery costs Immunization economics Costing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-025-12455-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kelseyvaughan costsofdeliveringcovid19vaccineinbotswanaduringtheheightofthepandemicaretrospectivestudy AT onalennatmokena costsofdeliveringcovid19vaccineinbotswanaduringtheheightofthepandemicaretrospectivestudy AT goabaonerankgoanepono costsofdeliveringcovid19vaccineinbotswanaduringtheheightofthepandemicaretrospectivestudy AT moseskeetile costsofdeliveringcovid19vaccineinbotswanaduringtheheightofthepandemicaretrospectivestudy AT ullakougriffiths costsofdeliveringcovid19vaccineinbotswanaduringtheheightofthepandemicaretrospectivestudy |