Results of world's first cost-effectiveness analysis of flu responses will help governments plan for epidemics

A €1.2 million European project, which concludes on 28th March, will help policymakers develop reliable plans for responding to flu epidemics, including pandemics. The world's first extensive cost-effectiveness analysis of epidemic responses has created models which will help governments avoid costly and ineffectual policies. Annual epidemics are estimated to cause 3-5 million cases of severe illness and 250-500,000 deaths worldwide (WHO, fact sheet 211; March 2014). When an epidemic hits, the main factor limiting our response is cost.