Putting prevention research at risk: implementation of the Vaccines for Children programme

The United States Department of Health and Human Services is in the process of implementing the recently created Vaccines for Children programme (VFC) that provides for expanded government purchase of childhood vaccines at capped prices. Vaccine companies have traditionally sold their vaccines to the government at discounted prices and to private providers at higher prices, and policymakers have encouraged this ad hoc cost-shifting system. Greatly increased government purchase of vaccines at artificially low capped prices will not have a significant impact on immunization rates, and, because vaccine manufacturers depend on private sector sales to finance research and development, such purchase will delay or curtail efforts to bring new vaccines to the market.