More federal and state funding is essential for tackling these formidable problems. Two-thirds of this money should come from the federal government, and an additional third from the states themselves. Moreover, the system for allocating federal funding to states needs to be overhauled. A base level of support should be provided to all states, and those with the greatest need should get extra support that would be tied to health demands and immunization performance. Each state also should be required to contribute some of its own money to receive this extra support.
More funding also is needed to purchase vaccines for adults.
And the government should plan on making more resources available as new vaccines are recommended. As history has revealed time and again, disease does not recognize geographic or demographic boundaries. A national immunization policy that is flexible enough to respond to state and local needs could go a long way in protecting all of us from vaccine-preventable diseases. David R. Smith, president of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, served as vice chair of the committee.