Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : U.S. Urged to Launch New Vaccine Agency

The federal government should establish a new agency that would encourage the private, public and academic sectors to cooperate in developing and producing new and improved vaccines, the Institute of Medicine recommended. Such an organization, which the institute estimated would cost between $30 million and $75 million to launch, would form a partnership with the private sector to set priorities for vaccine development and support research and clinical trials. Ultimately, it would license vaccines to public or commercial manufacturers in the United States or a foreign manufacturer or government to produce, the report said. The Institute of Medicine is a private organization that provides health policy advice to the federal government and other decision-makers.