Washington state provides "universal" vaccination and has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country
The federal government has been actively involved with the purchase of vaccines for children since the Vaccination Assistance Act of 1965. This was expanded in 1993 with the passage of the Vaccination for Children program which allows the national Center for Disease Control to purchase vaccines for distribution to state agencies. Because of the huge purchasing power of the federal government, prices are dictated by the government and set low. A predictable, but unintended, consequence of government pricing is that fewer drug manufacturers are willing and able to participate in vaccine production.
This year the Washington state legislature created a nonprofit corporation, the Washington Vaccine Association (WVA) to help the state to continue providing universal vaccine coverage for all children in WA under the age of 19. The WVA board selects one vaccine in each category, which limits choice for the patients and providers. The board also sets the reimbursement rate for providers which is artificially low and doesn't cover doctor overhead for vaccine administration.
If drug manufacturers can't compete on selection or price, fewer will remain in the business of vaccine production. This will ultimately limit not only choice, but also supply of vaccines in a very unpredictable market. Washington state ranks 43rd in the nation in percent of children vaccinated. Drug manufacturers, if they are actively involved in the market, can use their large advertising methods to promote immunization within the state.
The universal vaccination program is another example of government intrusion into health care delivery that ultimately limits choice, alienates providers and manufacturers and does a huge disservice to patients and their families.
Comments
Logic flaws
"If drug manufacturers can't compete on selection or price, fewer will remain in the business of vaccine production." That makes no sense whatsoever. Conventional market-driven reason holds that competition keeps prices low; so on that basis, the prices would only drop if there were "competition", which would then mean lower profits for the companies, which would be the sort of market-driven force that would result in "fewer ... remain in the business of vaccine production". In short--no gain. Most likely loss, in fact, as companies cut corners (i.e. costs) in order to lower prices, and more jobs go overseas and more bad vaccine may reach the consumers.
The alternative is that prices are "artificially low", and that "competition" would raise them to some higher "market price"--which again offers no benefit to the consumer, who ends up paying more. At the very least, the consumer will be paying for the drug companies "large advertising methods", because funding for that does not come out of thin air--it comes out of fees charged for the product. Not to mention the large executive salaries and sales bonuses--none of which are present in the Government. The President himself makes less that 1/10 of any of the top 10 pharma CEO salaries.
No, it is misinformation like this that limits peoples' options and moves too much of the Common Good into the hands of those whose goal is Corporate Profit--and self profit (can you say, "sales commission"?). Why don't you take your market smarts and help the US government turn a profit? That would be a good way to reduce taxes AND promote the health and well being of all Americans.