appropriation; emergency
vaccines
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Committee on Health |
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DP |
Committee on Appropriations |
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DP |
Caucus and COW |
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X |
As Transmitted To The Governor |
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SB 1206 appropriates $500,000 to the Department of Health Services (DHS) from the tobacco tax medically needy account fund in fiscal year 2000-2001 for emergency vaccines.
The state currently appropriates $1.9 million per year to DHS for vaccines. They are distributed to over 750 physicians who administer them to underinsured children free of charge. In February of last year a new vaccine, Prevnar, was licensed to prevent diseases caused by streptococcus pneumoniae, such as meningitis, sepsis, pneumonia and otitis media (ear infections). Children receive four doses of the vaccine between the ages of 2 and 15 months, at a cost of $46 per shot to DHS. According to DHS, the $500,000 appropriation will be used to purchase 10,869 doses of Prevnar, which should vaccinate approximately 2,700 children.