About Us

The Alaska Vaccine Assessment Program (AVAP) facilitates universal purchase of vaccines for all ages. In 2014, the State of Alaska enacted a statewide funding partnership (Alaska statute 18.09.200) to safeguard universal purchase of childhood vaccines and select adult vaccines. The program has been successfully delivering benefits to the people of Alaska since its inception.

 

Benefits of AVAP:

   •  Lower costs: States that serve as the single purchaser of childhood and adult vaccines receive more favorable pricing. Depending on the vaccine, these prices range from an estimated 15 percent to 60 percent lower than private purchase alternatives. These savings lower health care costs and, ultimately, help hold down rising premium costs for individuals and benefit costs for employers.
   •  Provider benefits: Health care providers can administer childhood and adult vaccines to their patients while avoiding the financial and staffing burdens required to separate private and public vaccine stock.
   •  Immunization benefits: Next to clean drinking water and good nutrition, vaccines have saved more lives than any other public health intervention in modern history. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that vaccinating every child born in the U.S. from birth to adolescence would prevent 14 million infections, spare 33,000 lives, and save $10 billion in medical costs.  (Source: “How Safe Are Vaccines?” by Alice Park, Time, May 21, 2008.)
 

Administration of AVAP:

DOH contracts with KidsVax® for administrative support services, including collection of payments from health plans, insurance companies, and other payers, and the development and maintenance of this website. The State of Alaska uses these funds to purchase vaccines for children and adults at favorable rates and distribute them to providers at no charge. This funding partnership has been branded as the Alaska Vaccine Assessment Program or AVAP.

 

To learn more about the history of AVAP, click here.

 

AVAP Advisory Council Members

  • Joseph McLaughlin, MD, MPH, Chair

    State Epidemiologist and Chief, Section of Epidemiology, Alaska Division of Public Health

  • Sarah Bailey, AIE

    Supervisor, L & H Filings and Market Conduct, Alaska Division of Insurance

  • Pamela Andrews Sheffield, MD

    Medical Director, Clinical Solutions, Pacific NW Medical Health Services, Aetna

  • Mike Patton

    Director of Large Group Underwriting, Premera Blue Cross

  • Patrick Shier

    Payer-TPA, Alaska Membership Representative, Pacific Health Coalition

  • Christina Eldridge, PharmD, MPH, BCACP

    Outpatient Pharmacy Manager, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

  • Patricia Clay, MD, MPH

    LaTouche Pediatrics

  • Jennifer Perkins, MD

    Southcentral Foundation

KidsVax Team :   AVAP Administrators

  • Seema P. Mack

    President and CEO

  • Megan Conrad

    Controller

  • Heather Veen

    Chief of Staff

  • Fred Potter

    Founding Member