Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 2, 1993 TAG: 9302020006
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
VACCINATION PLAN BEING CONSIDERED
The White House and influential members of Congress are working on various plans to assure immunization of all preschool children against childhood diseases, but President Clinton has not made a final decision on the matter, sources said Monday.Contrary to some news reports, sources said Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala has not recommended that the federal government buy directly from drug companies the entire $500 million to $700 million worth of vaccines needed to immunize all American children each year.
Sources said the White House might announce some aspects of a plan soon. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, is working on a plan of his own, and several other lawmakers are interested in the issue.
Although immunizations against polio, diphtheria, tetanus and other diseases are highly effective, public health experts say only about 50 percent of all preschool children receive the full course of immunizations. The remainder may get some needed protection, but not complete vaccinations.
Although direct government purchase and free distribution is said to be one option, it would increase cost to government and risk a possibly bruising fight with the drug industry, which opposes the idea of the controls the government is likely to impose if it is the sole purchaser. Sources said Monday that the administration is more likely to turn to other measures.
One is to help the states and their Medicaid programs expand discount purchases of needed vaccines. Another is to create a national computer registry to keep track of children and their immunizations. A third is to seek money to build up the local health care delivery services for poor children. A fourth is to provide added funding for outreach services in order to deal with the problem that many low-income families simply do not bring their children in even when service is free.