Volume 3, Number 2—June 1997
Perspective
The Economic Impact of a Bioterrorist Attack: Are Prevention and Postattack Intervention Programs Justifiable?
, and George P. Schmid
Table 2
Costs of prophylaxis following a bioterrorist attack
| Level of effectiveness | Anthrax | Tularemia | Brucellosis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower | |||
| Effectiveness (%) | 90 | 80 | 80 |
| Drugs useda | D or C | D | D+R |
| Cost of drugs ($)b | 6 or 181 | 3 | 220 |
| No. of visitsc | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Total cost/ person ($) | 51 or 226 | 28 | 285 |
| Upper Effectiveness (%) | 95 | 95 | 95 |
| Drugs useda | D+V or C+V | D+G | D+G |
| Cost of drugs ($)b | 17 or 193 | 29 | 36 |
| No. of visitsc | 4 | 7 | 12 |
| Total cost/ person ($) | 62 or 238 | 104 | 161 |
| Minimum No. participantsd | 451,912 | 418,094 | 423,440 |
| Maximum No. participantse | 1,492,750 | 1,488,037 | 1,488,037 |
Notes: All costs are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
aDrugs used: D = doxycycline; C = ciprofloxacin; V = anthrax vaccine; G = gentamicin; R = rifampin.
bSee text for explanation of drug costs.
cCost of visit to drug-dispensing site: 1st visit = $15/person; follow-up visits = $10/person/visit.
dEstimate assumed that the prophylaxis program was initiated on postattack day 6 for anthrax and tularemia and postattack day 113 for brucellosis, that the prophylaxis program had the lower effectiveness level, and that the multiplication factor for unnecessary prophylaxis given to unexposed persons was 5.
eEstimate assumed that prophylaxis was initiated on postattack day 0 (day of release), that prophylaxis had the upper effectiveness level, and that the multiplication factor for unnecessary prophylaxis given to unexposed persons was 15.