PARENTING : Pediatric Group Backs Shots

The new chickenpox vaccine has won endorsement from the nation’s largest group of pediatricians.

The American Academy of Pediatricians recommended earlier this month that Varivax be administered to all children ages 12 months to 18 months and to all children 13 and younger who have not had the disease.

The Food and Drug Administration, which approved the drug in March, recommends one shot for children 1 to 12 who have not had chickenpox and two doses for teen-agers and adults who have not suffered the disease.

The amount parents pay for a shot will depend on their health insurance coverage and other variables, but drug manufacturer Merck and Co. intends to charge doctors $39 a dose.

Most HMO plans are prevention-oriented and reimburse patients for vaccinations, said Dan Thomas of the Health Insurance Assn. of America. But the situation often is different with traditional fee-for-service policies or less comprehensive managed care plans.

Federal health officials say many low- to moderate-income families who do not have health insurance covering immunizations can get them at reduced prices at public health clinics.

The potential savings from the vaccine are backed up by a study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Assuming that Varivax would cost doctors $35 rather than $39 per dose, it found that for every $1 spent on routine immunizations, $5.40 would be saved in direct and indirect costs.