Oral

Presentations in this session will: 1) summarize vaccine coverage and levels of vaccine-preventable diseases in children and adults and highlight some of the major issues currently affecting immunization programs (e.g., new vaccines, rising concerns about vaccine safety); 2) discuss the current approach to financing immunizations in the USA and the somewhat different issues affecting childhood immunization as compared to adult immunization. The National Vaccine Advisory Committee Workgroup on financing immunizations is considering recommendations to assure that there are no financial barriers to immunizations in this country; 3) highlight current uses of IIS to improve immunization programs and the challenges facing further progress; and 4) summarize the available scientific evidence regarding the possible linkage between vaccines and autism.

Session Objectives: by the end of the session, participants will be able to: • Describe the overall status of immunizations in the USA • Describe current issues in financing immunizations and some possible solutions • Describe the current use of immunization information systems and how they are contributing to improvements in immunization programs • Describe the scientific evidence supporting/rejecting the notion that vaccines can cause autism