United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Program Evaluation and Methodology Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-07-18 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:PEMD-94-28 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-94-28 P0b002ee180379331 f:pe94028 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-PEMD-94-28 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-PEMD-94-28 PEMD-94-28 Immunization programs Immunization services Community health services Contract negotiations Federal/state relations Infectious diseases Children Program evaluation Program management Human resources training CDC Vaccines for Children Program CDC Children's Immunization Initiative Medicaid Program Letter Report PEMD 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). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-94-28/html/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-94-28.htm GAO/PEMD-94-28 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-94-28 Letter Report GAO/PEMD-94-28; Vaccines for Children: Critical Issues in Design and Implementation; Immunization programs Immunization services Community health services Contract negotiations Federal/state relations Infectious diseases Children Program evaluation Program management Human resources training CDC Vaccines for Children Program CDC Children's Immunization Initiative Medicaid Program