BOSTON, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- A new study suggests the approximately 14 percent of U.S. children who are underinsured are increasingly at risk for not receiving needed vaccines.
The study, led by Harvard Medical School Professor Dr. Grace Lee, found the most commonly cited barriers to vaccine access were lack of sufficient federal and state funding.
“Due to the increased cost of recently recommended vaccines and the lack of available funding, many states have been forced to adopt more restrictive policies for the provision of publicly purchased vaccines,” said Lee. “Underinsured children who used to be able to rely on public health clinics as a safety net … are now at risk of not getting immunized for serious childhood illnesses.”
While some private health insurance plans cover recommended vaccines for children, an increasing number of plans require patients to pay for many such vaccines.
“Strategies are needed to enhance immunization benefits for underinsured children in private health plans and to support the public sector safety net in order to ensure the protection of this vulnerable group of children,” Lee said.
The study appears in the Aug. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
