BIO Principles on Vaccine Financing Policy

There are several barriers to enhanced immunization rates. Inadequacies in infrastructure and awareness create primary challenges that must be addressed. BIO encourages increased research into barriers to enhanced immunization.

• Additional research is needed to better understand the true barriers to vaccination. The Federal government plays an important role in researching barriers to immunization, and there is a particular need to research barriers to adult and adolescent immunization.
• The Federal government should develop and support comprehensive educational campaigns to inform health care providers, the public, and payers of the value of vaccines.
• A combination of public and private efforts will be needed to increase vaccination rates for yearly seasonal diseases where infrastructure challenges are compounded with a limited timeframe.
• Immunization stakeholders should mobilize as appropriate to encourage standard immunization registries that are routinely used by providers and better systems for reminding and recalling patients.
• Other programs to maximize immunization rates might include identification of missed opportunities to vaccinate and increasing the use of standing orders authorizing nurses and pharmacists to administer vaccinations according to an institution- or physician-approved protocol without a physician’s ad hoc order.

PRINCIPLE 4: Ensure adequate financial support at Federal and State levels of existing public programs.

Strong support by both the Federal government and States of existing public programs is essential to ensuring an adequate immunization infrastructure. Infrastructure includes public and professional education and awareness, registry development and maintenance, trained professionals to administer vaccines and maintain records, refrigerators, syringes and other materials necessary to maintain and administer vaccines and incorporation of wellness into health care practices.

• Section 317 funding must keep pace with immunization infrastructure needs in order to enable implementation of ACIP recommendations.
• BIO supports strong annual appropriations for existing Section 317 statutory authorities.
• The professional judgments of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and State-level immunization programs are important to inform policy discussions on the funding needs of Section 317.
• State governments play an important role and have the responsibility to ensure an adequate immunization infrastructure.