This book examines the potential effect of the federal
government's Vaccines for Children Program on incentives to invest
in research and development for new and improved vaccines.
Henry Grabowski is professor of
economics and director of the Program in Pharmaceuticals and Health Economics at Duke University. John Vernon is professor of economics at Duke University.
Our
government has traditionally provided free vaccination for the poor and near poor and has imposed vaccination requirements to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The Vaccines for Children Program (VFC), which went into effect in October 1994, has the potential to expand vastly the public market for pediatric vaccines. This book focuses on how increased government purchases for vaccines at below-market prices under the VFC will affect the incentives to invest in new and improved children's vaccines.