Despite the increase in appropriations for children's programs in fiscal year 1993, funding fell short of what was recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP; Elk Grove Village, Ill) (Table). An example of how budget reductions affect children is apparent in the immunization program. The $341 726 000 appropriated for immunizations in fiscal year 1993 provided funding for the diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and pertussis vaccines, the polio vaccine, and the first dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, but only partial funding for the second dose of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, the Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, and the hepatitis B vaccine. The AAP's recommendation called for full funding of immunizations for children cared for in the public sector. Continued underfunding of children's programs could have a devastating effect on the health of the nation's children.
The AAP is dedicated to the principle that every child has a right to medical