Immunization Plan Good Bet for Federal Funds : Health care: But local officials wonder whether San Diego County will continue to receive money for the children’s inoculation program after the election.

San Diego County, with its newly minted immunization program, is almost certain to compete favorably for additional federal funds to support the fledgling project, Health Secretary Dr. Louis W. Sullivan said.

Federal and local officials gathered in a closed meeting Thursday night at the U.S. Grant Hotel to discuss the program and to try to assess whether the county can really meet its ambitious goals.

Under the new program, touted as a model for the nation, officials hope to ensure that 90% of all children are fully immunized by age 2 before the year 2000.

San Diego County, along with several cities piloting the program--Philadelphia, Detroit, Phoenix, Dallas and Rapid City, S.D.--will obtain new federal dollars to help launch it, Sullivan said in an interview.

The six sites will “be receiving significant portions of money because they are the cities that have been severely affected,” said Sullivan, who declined to be more specific.

The San Diego Infant Immunization Initiative, if fully implemented, would cost $4 million annually.

“After all is said and done, what matters is immunizing our children, the most vulnerable segment of the population,” Dr. James O. Mason, assistant secretary for health, said at the meeting.

“But how many children have to die or suffer if we wait till the year 2000?” said Mason, addressing the roomful of the nation’s top health officials, including Sullivan and Surgeon General Dr. Antonia Novello.

“How long will it take San Diego?” Mason asked.

Not missing a beat, Dr. Donald Ramras, the county’s deputy health director, replied, “Give us the money.”

San Diego is the only site in California selected by U.S. health officials to launch the pilot program--the result of a meeting last June with President Bush.

The Bush Administration has consistently increased federal funds allocated for preventive-medicine efforts such as immunization. Government spending on immunization has tripled, increasing from $98 million in 1989 to $297 million in 1991. For the next fiscal year, Bush has requested an additional $52 million.

The increased funding reflects the Administration’s commitment to the immunization program, said Mason, who is also head of the U.S. Public Health Service.

“Look at that budget increase,” he said. “I don’t call that just smoke and mirrors.”

Still, many local health officials wonder whether that commitment will be a lasting one--and not simply election-year rhetoric.

“Will there be a lessening of interest in this and other programs in two years, when there is not an election?” asked Dr. Kevin Barry, who helped formulate San Diego’s blueprint.