# Presentation: 042963

## Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (OASPE) Influenza Vaccine Project: Understanding the Dynamics of Influenza Vaccine Supply and Demand

- 1615 M Street, NW, Suite 740  ·  Washington, DC 20036Phone: 410.467.2907  · layton@rti.org  ·  www.rti.org
- RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.

*Presented to**	*National Vaccine Advisory Committee Washington, DC February 8, 2005
*Presented by **	*Christine M. Layton, PhD, MPH

## Introduction

- Project follows up previous project “Annual Influenza Vaccine Distribution Process” concluded in 2001.
- Purpose of present project is to review the current status of influenza vaccine demand, supply and distribution.
- Five (5) issue briefs will be produced by the end of 2005.

## Summary of Previous Project Annual Influenza Vaccine Distribution Process	

- Investigated influenza vaccine distribution in 2000-2001 season focusing on:
- Vaccine distributors
- Mass immunizers
- Non-traditional providers
- Economic factors

**Notes:**
Vaccine distributors were so-called “med-surg” companies which in addition to distributing vaccine may also distribute supplies including band-aids and hospital beds.
Mass immunizers were organizations such as the Visiting Nurses Association of America or Maxxim which often provide contractual services—in this case immunization—to those wanting to provide immunization services outside health care providers’ offices or health departments. 
Non-traditional providers were large employers or retailers who contracted with mass immunizers to provide immunizations for their employees or customers.

## Summary of Previous Project Annual Influenza Vaccine Distribution Process

- Findings:
- Delays in distribution of influenza vaccine in 2000-2001 due to multiple causes
- Notably
- Too few manufactures
- Too little vaccine
- Too late

## Purpose of Current Project

- To provide policy makers and other decision makers information about influenza vaccine issues that:
- Summarizes current issues
- Is in a useful format

## Summary of Current Project: Understanding the Dynamics of Influenza Vaccine Supply and Demand

- Annotated bibliography
- Key informant interviews
- Issue briefs
- Influenza vaccine overview
- Influenza vaccine purchasing and distribution
- Influenza vaccine manufacturing
- Influenza vaccine economics
- TBD

**Notes:**
This project was initiated prior to this year’s shortage in influenza vaccine.

## RTI Staff

- Dr. Amanda Honeycutt—Economic analyst
- Dr. Christine Layton—Project leader
- Dr. David Rein—Economic analyst
- Adrienne Rooks—Coordinator
- Dr. Lucia Rojas Smith—Research analyst
- Nathan West—Project associate

## Project Timeline

- Briefing reports will be completed between April and September 2005
- Influenza vaccine purchasing and distribution -- April
- Influenza vaccine manufacturing -- May
- Influenza vaccine economics -- May
- Influenza vaccine overview -- August
- TBD -- September

## Annotated Bibliography

- Collecting various sources of information
- Peer-reviewed journals
- Expert reports, e.g., IOM
- “Fugitive” literature
- Websites
- Conference abstracts
- Print media, i.e., newspapers

**Notes:**
We anticipate that materials will be added throughout the project.

## Key Informant Interviews

- Interviewees will include:
- Vaccine manufactures
- Vaccine distributors
- Federal experts
- Other experts

**Notes:**
As with the bibliography, we anticipate that information will be collected in an iterative fashion.

## Issue Brief: Overview

- Summarize influenza vaccine supply issues
- Update information presented in previous project
- Summarize other issue briefs
- Provide case studies for previous influenza seasons 2003-2005.

## Issue Brief: Influenza Vaccine Purchasing and Distribution	

- Role of purchasers
- Role of distributors
- Role of other participants

## Issue Brief: Vaccine Manufacturers

- Structure of industry
- Nature of influenza vaccine market
- Global market factors
- Decision making regarding
- Quantity to produce
- Investments in new technologies

## Issue Brief: Influenza Vaccine Economics

- Costs of production
- Pricing strategies
- Factors that impact consumer decisions to purchase vaccine

## Issue Brief: TBD

- List of potential topics due to OASPE in March
- Ideas or other comments may e-mailed to layton@rti.org or amy.nevel@hhs.gov