Market expansion. Recent government actions to protect public health will
increase the demand for vaccines in a number of ways. First, the ACIP has made new
recommendations for routine vaccinations, including vaccination of children with
varicella and PCV7 vaccines. It also has added adults ages 50–64 and children ages
6–23 months to the existing flu vaccination recommendations.
Second, VFC has expanded the market by providing free vaccines for children
meeting VFC criteria who are traditionally underimmunized. Since 1994, dose
sales of routinely recommended childhood vaccines have increased steadily. In
addition, private sales have kept pace with government sales. This is attributable
partly to the increased number of ACIP recommendations and partly to increased
childhood vaccination rates.11
Third, there are now informal discussions under way in NVAC subcommittees
to research the feasibility of a Vaccine for Adults (VFA) program that might fund
adults not now able to purchase their own vaccines. There are also a number of
vaccines targeted toward adolescents and young adults that are being reviewed
for licensure by the FDA and ultimately for recommendation by the ACIP.