immunization services, improving and protecting public health resources to assess immunization needs and ensure the delivery of immunization services, greatly expanding effective collaboration between providers in the public and private sectors, and increasing the public's awareness of the importance of immunizations and the seriousness of vaccine-preventable illnesses. Although this report focuses on nonfinancial factors that affect immunization rates, many important issues have significant economic dimensions. Those that were discussed at the workshop (e.g., Medicaid reimbursement and the cost of vaccine services to families) are included in the report.

The committee's primary aim is to address those issues that require the attention of state-level decisionmakers, including government officials, public health officials, and leadership in the health professions. It also intends for the report to be useful to local government and public health officials, national leaders in government and the health professions, and public- and private-sector developers of health care reform plans.