Charitable groups in Utah purchase measle vaccinations for children living in Third World countries for as little as $1 a dose.
But a Utah child who goes to a private practitioner in our state may be charged $30 for that same vaccination.If President Clinton's plan to have the government purchase all vaccinations and then administer them free is adopted, costs would go down and more children would be protected from deadly diseases, Dr. Harry Gibbons, director of the Salt Lake City-County Health Department told the Deseret News Tuesday.
Currently, drug companies charge large amounts largely because they are protecting themselves against any potential lawsuits and trying to make a profit. Ideally, the government would be able to invest more money into drug distribution and less into defensive legal costs, said Gibbons.
Even though immunizations are available to any Utah child at no cost at county health clinics, parents frequently are too embarrassed to ask for free immuniza-tions. Clinton's plan would put everyone on the same playing field. The public would likely feel more comfortable going to a clinic for the shots.
Under Clinton's proposal, private physicians would have added incentive to check a child's immunization record and update vaccinations when the child is brought in for a routine checkup. Pediatricians could take a more active role in managing their patients' preventive care, said Gibbons.
Gibbons applauds Clinton for placing the importance of immunizations at the top of the health-care reform agenda.
Utah faces a severe problem with thousands of preschool children risking illness - or even death - because they are not immunized. Utah has one of the poorest records in the nation for failure of parents to immunize their children, said Gibbons.
A 1991 statewide survey of 2-year-olds disclosed that only 37 percent were adequately immunized. Even areas of the United States where health problems are traditional - such as New York City; Cleveland; or Newark, N.J. - do not fall far behind Utah. "We are a poor example of how to care for children in this area of immunizations," he said.
"Will it take a widespread epidemic to get the attention of Utah parents? The negligence puts all children at risk. With measles, for example, if 95 percent of the children are not vaccinated, an epidemic can easily spread."
Health clinics have stayed open during evening hours and weekends to accommodate working parents' schedules, but the clinics were essentially empty.
"We're willing to do everything we can to make immunizations more accessible, but it's clear that some parents simply do not place protecting their children as a high priority. Or, perhaps, they do not realize the devastation that can result from their apathy."
In 1991, Utah experienced the largest outbreak of measles since 1976. Nineteen of 45 children were hospitalized. There were 89 deaths in the U.S. related to measles.
Childhood diseases of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis still pose a serious threat to children who are not immunized, said Gibbons.
"Immunizations are the single most effective way to prevent serious childhood infectious diseases," said Gibbons. "If President Clinton is successful in enhancing the availability of vaccinations to all American children, this will be a tremendous contribution to the health of the nation."
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(Chart)
Child immunization schedule
Age Polio Diptheria Measles Tetanus Haemophilus
Tetanus Mumps Diphteria Influenza B*
Pertussis Rubella
2 months x x x
4 months x x x
6 months optional x x
15 months x x x x
4-6 years x x x x
14-16 years x x
*Contact your doctor or health department for immunization recommendations