Vaccines for Children: Critical Issues in Design and Implementation
(Letter Report, 07/18/94, GAO/PEMD-94-28).

The Vaccines for Children program was authorized by Congress in 1993 in
order to increase immunization rates through free vaccinations. Plans by
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to implement the program by
October 1, as required by law, appear to be lagging behind schedule.
With little margin for error, the program may not be up and running on
time. GAO examined CDC's implementation plans and concluded that the
time line is very ambitious. Several tasks integral to full
implementation of the program are experiencing delays, including
awarding contracts to vaccine manufacturers, developing plans for
provider enrollment, and designing a vaccine distribution service that
ensures the vaccine will not lose potency during shipment. Other
components of the plan may need revision; for example, a proposed
administration fee schedule may impose a financial burden on some
program recipients, a consequence inconsistent with the program's stated
goal of removing cost as a barrier to immunization. GAO also expressed
concern that CDC has not yet developed plans for evaluating the program;
without evaluation steps, it will be difficult to measure the impact of
the program on immunization rates. GAO summarized this report in
testimony before Congress; see: Vaccines for Children: Major
Implementation Hurdles Remain, by Kwai-Cheung Chan, Director of Program
Evaluation in Physical Systems Areas, before the Subcommittee on Labor,
Health, Human Services, and Education, Senate Committee on
Appropriations. GAO/T-PEMD-94-29, July 21 (12 pages).

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  PEMD-94-28
     TITLE:  Vaccines for Children: Critical Issues in Design and 
             Implementation
      DATE:  07/18/94
   SUBJECT:  Immunization programs
             Immunization services
             Community health services
             Contract negotiations
             Federal/state relations
             Infectious diseases
             Children
             Program evaluation
             Program management
             Human resources training
IDENTIFIER:  CDC Vaccines for Children Program
             CDC Children's Immunization Initiative
             Medicaid Program
             
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