Vaccines: a model for prevention.

Vaccines save lives. A great advance for medicine and public health in the 20th century, they represent the quintessential model of prevention. Tremendous progress has been made by the United States in developing vaccines, and including them in our standard of medical care now enables a child born today to be protected against 17 serious infectious diseases. During the past century, life expectancy has increased by more than 30 years and mortality for most childhood vaccine-preventable diseases has decreased by 99%.1 Now, as we enter “the Decade of Vaccines,” the country can accelerate this progress. To do so, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other federal and national partners have developed and recently released the National Vaccine Plan (NVP).2 The NVP, updated for the first time since 1994, projects a vision for the nation to guide and coordinate vaccine and immunization efforts for the coming decade. This comprehensive plan includes the full breadth of activities—from research and development to implementation and delivery domestically and abroad—to ensure that all Americans are protected from preventable diseases through vaccination. The NVP aims to achieve five broad goals: Goal 1: Develop new and improved vaccines. Goal 2: Enhance the vaccine safety system. Goal 3: Support communications to enhance informed vaccine decision-making. Goal 4: Ensure a stable supply of, access to, and better use of recommended vaccines in the U.S. Goal 5: Increase global prevention of death and disease through safe and effective vaccination. In short, the NVP provides a framework for national action, offers innovative approaches to improving the delivery of existing vaccines and spurring the development of new ones, and upholds informed decision-making and an appreciation for the community benefit of vaccines. As we develop the steps to implement the NVP, we will focus on the many specific actions and targets for the next decade, and will measure our progress in accomplishing these goals. As implementation proceeds, new vaccine-related initiatives such as improved regulatory science, medical countermeasures for public health emergencies, national prevention benefits, and global health partnerships will be seen in the context of the nation's vaccine strategy. The implementation of the NVP throughout 2011 provides an opportunity to achieve its potential. Through a series of regional stakeholder meetings, we hope to identify priorities and develop measurable indicators to track progress during the next decade. Because vaccines are a part of every American's life, we look to the broad range of stakeholders to inform our path forward: federal, state, and local policy makers; health-care providers; manufacturers; academia; philanthropic organizations; and the public. Through this process, the NVP will come alive to build a better system of prevention for the nation. The NVP brings us closer to our Healthy People 2020 goals and beyond.3 As a model for public health, vaccines protect our people, our communities, and our nation. For more information on vaccines and the benefits they offer to individuals and society, please visit our new website: http://www.vaccines.gov.