[afro-nets] Challenges to global immunization programs

[Kathleen Ford <kford@projecthope.org>]

New Health Affairs Issue on Vaccines Calls Pediatric Vaccine
Supply Precarious
------------------------------------------------------------

Millions of Privately Insured Children and Adults Do Not Have
Coverage for Recommended Vaccines

Despite broad public support for insurance coverage of vaccines,
an estimated 15 percent of children and 30 percent of adults in
the United States who have health insurance are not covered for
vaccines, according to a new study published in the new May/June
issue of the journal Health Affairs. In addition, the nation's
pediatric vaccine supply is considered "precarious", given in-
creasingly frequent shortages in several pediatric vaccines, ac-
cording to another study published in the May/June issue.

Immunization programs have been under intense scrutiny in recent
months: The United States experienced a severe shortage of in-
fluenza vaccine last fall when its primary manufacturer was shut
down; unsubstantiated stories about a vaccine-autism link have
fueled parental anxieties; the federal stockpile of pediatric
vaccines, intended to forestall shortages, has been depleted;
and fears of new infectious diseases, like avian flu, have
called into question the lengthy vaccine development process.
The May/June issue of Health Affairs examines these and other
challenges to immunization programs around the world.

The full table of contents is available at:
http://content.healthaffairs.org/current.shtml

Findings from the May/June 2005 Health Affairs include:
* As many as 5 million privately insured children and 36 million
privately insured adults are not covered for immunizations - a
factor that may be contributing to low U.S. immunization rates,
according to authors Matthew Davis and Kathryn Fant of the Uni-
versity of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Article abstract available at:
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/3/770

* Two-thirds of Americans believed that their community was ex-
periencing a shortage, and 60 percent were concerned about it,
according to a survey conducted by Catherine DesRoches and Bob
Blendon of the Harvard School of Public Health, and John Benson
of the Harvard Opinion Research Program. Article abstract avail-
able at:
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/3/822

* Nearly 40 percent of Americans surveyed blamed "vaccine manu-
facturers and pharmaceutical companies" for the shortfall, and
nearly 30 percent blamed "federal government public health agen-
cies", according to the Harvard survey.

* The Harvard survey also found that 45 percent of Americans be-
lieved that it should be up to the federal government to ensure
an adequate vaccine supply, and 26 percent thought manufacturers
should do so.


--
Kathleen Ford
mailto:kford@projecthope.org