$1-Billion Plan to Immunize All Children on Way
The Clinton Administration today will announce a $1-billion-a-year program to immunize all of the nation’s children against a wide range of childhood diseases, health industry and government sources said Wednesday.
Most of the money, plus several hundred million dollars already being spent by the government for vaccines, will be used to purchase all the vaccines needed each year to immunize all U.S. children and to distribute them free to doctors and health clinics, including private doctors whose patients now pay for the shots, the sources said.
Although nearly all children receive the full set of vaccinations by the time they start school, many do not receive them until long after the recommended age. Nearly all of the 18 vaccination doses covering nine childhood diseases are recommended by age 2. The cost of the vaccines obtained through private physicians averages $245 per patient, federal officials have said.
The government will negotiate with the drug industry for the federal bulk purchases of vaccines.
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