Smallpox cost-effectiveness of therapy

Smallpox has been successfully eradicated since the 1970s, but there was a great deal of money spent in the eradication process. Through donor governments, as well as other sources, it has been estimated that there was $300 million spent on eliminating smallpox.

Vaccine
At this point in time, the biggest form of cost comes in the form of the vaccine. Originally, the overall cost needed to be brought down and of the biggest breakthroughs for the smallpox vaccine was the bifurcated needle. The bifurcated needle greatly reduced costs and improved the ease of vaccination. About 1,000 needles cost only $5. The needles could actually be boiled and reused hundreds of times. Also, since these needles required a smaller amount of vaccine, the vials of vaccine could now vaccinate 4 times as many people. This was very important because there were certain countries that could not afford any sort of vaccination above a very minimal cost. Around the same time period, there was a measles vaccine that cost approximately $1/vaccine. This was a price that was far too high.

The actual cost of vaccination depended upon the country. For more of the developed countries, it has been estimated that it cost $50 million/year while the eradication process was occurring. In some of the endemic countries, it cost approximately $10 million/year. It has been estimated that the total global cost was in excess of $1.35 billion in the late 1960s.