Vaccine business booming for pharma; Financing gaps for uninsured children

While we've been away in August working on the new VaccineEthics.org, a few items appeared that highlighted two very different angles of vaccine financing, cost, and profitability.

Last Sunday's New York Times noted how "Vaccines and Their Promise are Roaring Back." The story highlights the oft-repeated account of the surge in research interest from pharmaceutical companies, new products, and huge profit growth in vaccines in recent years.

Amid all this enthusiasm for new vaccine development, the story all but ignores the many challenges required to produce and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines. Its conclusion captures the tone of the entire story:

"The allure of the silver bullet -- of wiping out an entire class of related diseases with a single injection -- remains a powerful symbol of technological advance. Fifty years ago, vaccine creators captivated the world's imagination. With the return of vaccine-making to the center of the pharmaceutical business, new sources of profits are emerging, and new heroes of innovation."

Speaking of challenges, a report published in JAMA earlier this month noted "Gaps in Vaccine Financing for Underinsured Children in the United States." (subscription required for full text). The CDC-sponsored study offers a useful overview of the varied programs that finance vaccines for uninsured or underinsured children. The authors' data confirm the long-standing belief that a significant percentage of underinsured children are not receiving all recommended vaccines due to shortfalls in state funding and federal discretionary spending. An accompanying editorial by Matthew Davis ("Reasons and Remedies for Underinsurance for Child and Adolescent Vaccines") examines the causes and possible solutions to this problem.