National universal immunization groundwork laid: State-level plans may gauge access factors

President Clinton's plan for universal vaccine distribution has been pioneered by several states with varying success in boosting their 24-month age-appropriate immunization rates. The following state-by-state roundup of existing programs may provide a new perspective on how cost figures in the immunization equation and how other access factors impact efforts to reach children. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate the national 24-month age-appropriate immunization rate to be between 37 percent and 56 percent.