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Childhood Immunization: Opportunities to Improve Immunization Rates at Lower Cost

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date March 24, 1993
Report No. HRD-93-41
Subject
Summary:

Most state Medicaid programs could save money if low-cost vaccines acquired through contracts with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) were made available to all doctors giving vaccines to poor children. Although state and local health departments can buy low-cost vaccines for this purpose, most do not. State Medicaid programs have ended up reimbursing providers for vaccines that cost as much as five times the CDC-contract price. These state programs could also reduce immunization costs if they reimbursed providers only for the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine rather than the higher cost individual vaccines. Savings on vaccine costs, however, will do little to improve preschool immunization levels unless funds are provided to educate parents and track and follow up on the immunization status of children. Most states do not systematically carry out these activities.

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