APIC Needs Your Help in Contacting Congress to Support the National Immunization Program

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is asking its members to petition Congressmembers to increase funding for the National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), otherwise known as "section 317" of the Public Health Service Act. 

Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and John Shimkus (R-IL) have sent a Dear Colleague letter to every member of the House of Representatives asking them to sign on to a letter to the House Appropriations Committee to support increased funding for the National Immunization Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- known as section 317 of the Public Health Service Act. The more members of the House of Representatives that sign on to the letter, the better chance the 317 Program will receive increased funding in the FY 2008 budget.

Concurrently, Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) have sent a similar Dear Colleague letter to every member of the Senate asking them to sign on to a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee to support increased funding for the 317 Program. Again, the more members of the Senate that sign on to the letter, the better chance the 317 Program will receive increased funding. According to APIC, members of Congress are much more likely to sign on to these group letters if their constituents ask them to co-sign. 

The letter asks that the 317 Program be funded at $802.5 million in fiscal year 2008, which is an increase of approximately $295 million over the last fiscal year. The Presidents budget request would cut the CDC immunization program in the appropriations bill by $12 million. Currently the program receives about $519 million in federal appropriations. 

APIC is asking its members to request your member of Congress to sign the Dear Colleague letter.

Source: APIC