Updated plan to increase immunizations

WASHINGTON – The federal government has updated its plan to help get your patients vaccinated. The 10-year plan’s goals are to:

• develop new and improved vaccines;

• make sure the public knows that vaccines are safe;

• support informed decision-making by the public, healthcare providers, and the government;

• ensure a stable supply of, and access to, vaccines and to make sure they’re better used; and

• prevent death and disease on a global scale through vaccination.

“This plan is a 10-year vision for the nation to more effectively prevent infectious diseases and reduce adverse reactions to vaccines,” Bruce Gellin, MD, MPH, director of the National Vaccine Program Office, said in a press release. “Implementation will require a well-organized effort among stakeholders, including federal, state and local policymakers, healthcare providers, manufacturers, academia, philanthropic organizations, and the public.”

The 10-year National Vaccine Plan is the first update since the original in 1994. The plan notes that immunizations are the victim of their own success, particularly among childhood diseases. So many have been contained or eradicated that public perception of the necessity for vaccines has faded. Disinformation about a link between immunizations and autism also has hurt vaccination rates.

HHS plans to hold regional meetings this spring and summer to decide how the strategies laid out in the plan should be implemented over the next 10 years and how their effectiveness can be measured.