Swine flu vaccine to save billions in cash

The figure was presented in a report published in science journal Eurosurveillance. The report took into account cost savings on the on the basis of sick leave from work due to swine flu.

Research from the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (Smittskyddsinstitutet) and other Swedish organisations back the report’s finding and say a planned mass vaccination of the Swedish population will prove cost-effective.

The calculations consider how quickly swine flu will continue to spread throughout the country and the proportion of the population that is expected to suffer symptoms both mild and serious.

Whilst the report states the vaccine can reduce the risk of infection by 40 percent other studies point out that proctection is significantly higher following the vaccine.

In addition, the report does not take into account the number of expected deaths from the disease.

There remains doubt over how these figures will play out in reality and the writers of the report say the statistics should be interpreted with some caution.

However, they conclude that from an economic perspective at least 60 percent of the Swedish population should be vaccinated against swine flu.