Gains Seen in New Vaccination Program for Children

ATLANTA —  Childhood vaccines are so expensive that many doctors send their patients elsewhere for the shots, a practice that New York state health officials say is changing under a new federal immunization program.

A survey of 502 physicians found that half referred patients, usually to a public clinic, because of the cost. The vaccines recommended for children up to age 2 cost about $270, not including physician fees for the three visits needed to get the shots.

“You shouldn’t have to leave your health care provider to get vaccinated,” said Dr. David Satcher, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Among the reasons the surveyed doctors cited were the cost to poor and uninsured patients, insufficient reimbursement from Medicaid and the cost to the doctor who buys the vaccine.

The study did not address whether parents then took their children to public clinics.

In a recent issue of the CDC’s weekly journal, Dr. Gus Birkhead of New York’s Bureau of Communicable Diseases reported that those barriers are dropping as the state starts up the federal Vaccine for Children program. The CDC oversees the program, which was designed to eliminate the problem of cost.

Under the program, clinics and certain private doctors buy vaccine at low, federally set prices and inject any poor, uninsured or native child without charge. In addition, any child whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccinations can get free shots at special clinics.

New York is among 31 states already sending the vaccines to doctors. Another seven states are developing distribution systems, and the CDC is still negotiating with manufacturers to deliver vaccines to doctors in 11 states and Washington. Alaska has a separate vaccination program.

Since the program began Oct. 1, more than 1,972 physicians and 362 practices have enrolled in New York, including more than half of those taking Medicaid patients.

Through the CDC program, New York state has shipped almost 2.5 million doses of vaccine to doctors, Birkhead said.

It’s too early to tell how many children have benefited from the program, Satcher said.

But in light of the New York study’s findings, it’s clear that the program “is on target to remove the barrier of cost,” he said.

The vaccine program is part of the $500-million federal initiative to properly immunize 90% of America’s children by age 2. About 67% of children ages 19 to 35 months are immunized, but 2 million lack one or more recommended doses of vaccine.