Twenty years ago, it cost $75 to $100 to immunize a child with the four available vaccines. Today, 12 are generally recommended for kids and adolescents, at a private-sector cost of about $1,250. And the government is expected to recommend a 13th vaccine for girls -- a shot that protects against cervical cancer. It costs about $360 for the three-dose series, potentially raising the per-child vaccination bill to more than $1,600.

“The good news is we can now prevent so many diseases. The bad news is it's gotten more complicated,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, who heads immunization programs for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although vaccinations are routinely covered by health insurance, some worry that government funding for shots for the poor and uninsured will not keep up with demand. Another challenge: Outbreaks of mumps, whooping cough and other vaccine-preventable infections have shown that sometimes immunized people can still catch the disease.

Source: Mike Strobbe, Associated Press, 7.31.06