Comparative cost-effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose fractionation in India: a modelling study

Given constrained vaccine supplies globally, fractionation of vaccine doses may be an effective strategy for reducing disease and healthcare burdens, even with the emergence of COVID-19 variants. Using a multi-scale model that incorporates population-level transmission and individual-level vaccination, we estimate the costs associated with hospitalization, vaccine costs, and the economic benefit of reducing COVID-19 deaths associated with dose-fractionation strategies. Assuming a willingness-to-pay of US$10,517 per averted year of life lost (YLL) and a price of $12 per vaccine, under various transmission scenarios, with effective reproduction numbers ranging from 1.1 to 5.0 and with vaccine efficacy against transmission from 52% to 91%, the optimal vaccination strategy would always involve fractional doses of vaccines. Vaccine dose fractionation is a cost-effective strategy for mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic and could save a large number of lives, even after the emergence of variants with higher transmissibility.