THE PRESIDENTS CHILD IMMUNIZATION INITIATIVE - A SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEM AND THE RESPONSE

After only 24 days in office, President Bill Clinton announced a compr ehensive childhood immunization initiative designed to assure that all children in the United States lead healthier lives by receiving age-a ppropriate immunizations against preventable diseases such as polio, m umps, measles, whooping cough, and diphtheria. As part of his economic stimulus proposal, the President requested $300 million for Fiscal Ye ar 1993 to reinforce the nation's immunization infrastructure by provi ding funding for communities to extend clinic hours, provide more staf f, and increase information and education efforts and for the planning and implementation of a national immunization tracking system. In its Fiscal 1994 budget request, the Administration asked for a doubling o f the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's immunization progra m funding to $667 million. In cooperation with key congressional commi ttees, the Administration has also prepared legislation that would pro vide recommended childhood vaccines to States for free distribution to health care providers who serve children enrolled in Medicaid or who don't have health insurance that covers immunization services. Provide rs could not charge for the vaccine but could charge a fee for adminis tration. State Medicaid programs would also be required to reimburse p roviders reasonably for vaccine administration. This measure is design ed to improve universal access to immunization services by helping to remove financial barriers that impede children from being immunized at the appropriate age.