President Bush will propose a series of improvements in the financing of childhood vaccines in his fiscal year 2004 budget request.

These improvements will meet three goals-improve vaccine access, restore tetanus and diphtheria toxoid vaccines (Td, DT) to the Vaccine for Children (VFC) program, and build a national stockpile of childhood vaccine. The proposed improvements will expand on the Department's efforts to improve access to health care for all Americans.

"The President's proposal will expand access to preventive health care for some of our most vulnerable citizens, our children," Secretary Thompson said. "Vaccines are one of the most successful tools we have available today to prevent an array of childhood diseases, so we must do all we can to ensure that our children can get the vaccines they need."