At the 2nd National Immunization Congress held in Chicago, IL, from August 31-September 2, 2010, partners from government, provider groups, academia, and manufacturers gathered to discuss the progress made and the future of financing child, adolescent, and adult vaccines. The meeting is a continuation of a solution-oriented vaccine financing dialogue held in February 2007 at the 1st Immunization Congress. The need for this forum arose from concerns that increased costs of immunization could hinder the ability of current financing and delivery systems to maintain access without financial barriers. Preventive care and additional financial coverage for vaccines are key points in federal health reform but some populations, especially adolescents and adults, could continue to experience challenges in accessing vaccines. Congress participants discussed adequate reimbursement in the public and private sectors for vaccine delivery and the potential financial resources, data, and infrastructure needed to increase vaccine uptake in the US. Participants agreed that partners from all sectors--manufacturers, providers, public health, employers, payors, insurers, and consumers--will collectively need to leverage their efforts to address financial gaps not covered by health care reform law to ensure the preventive benefits of vaccines are fully realized for all Americans.
Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective, successful interventions in the history of public health. In the United States, they are financed through an intricate patchwork of public and private funding mechanisms and programs. An important component of vaccine financing is the "safety net" that provides vaccines for individuals who fall through the cracks of the system. State public health agencies rely on this safety net to ensure that children and adults are vaccinated and communities are protected against infectious diseases. However, safety nets need constant maintenance. Small rips or tears weaken the net and, if left untended, can grow into gaping holes. The vaccine safety net has been weakened by neglect and needs repair.Public funding has not kept pace with the cost of vaccinations, causing the safety net to fray. The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) appropriately sounds a warning in its report, Assuring Vaccination of Children and Adolescents Without Financial Barriers. 1 The NVAC recommendations to strengthen and to fund fully the existing vaccine safety net programs should be adopted immediately, before we experience serious disease outbreaks.For the majority of children in the United States, cost is not a barrier for vaccinations. Most health insurance plans cover the costs of vaccinations. For children without insurance, the federal government provides free vaccines through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. However, ϳ11% of young children and 21% of adolescents fall outside the care of private insurance and government programs, because they are not covered by health insurance and are not eligible for free VFC vaccines. 2 These are the children of working families with health insurance that does not cover immunization, children traditionally covered by vaccines purchased through a federal grant program known as Section 317. These underinsured children are most in need of the safety net offered by state and local public health departments. Many public health officials are concerned that, with worsening economic conditions, the number of children who depend on this safety net for their vaccines will increase beyond the ability to support the demand.Historically, state and local public health departments, through a combination of state and Section 317 federal grant funds, have been able to provide vaccines for underinsured children and adults. This safety net of coverage has kept overall immunization coverage rates high and ensured widespread community protection against outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. New, more-expensive vaccines have taxed the system, however, and challenging economic times have forced many states to cut back on vaccine purchases because of lack of state or federal funding. Twenty-four states are unable to provide vaccines for underinsured children in the private sector. 3 At least 13 states have changed their policies regarding provision of publicly purchased vaccines since 2004 and now restrict access to selected vaccines. 4 Although national immunizat...
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.