Vaccine Management Business Improvement Project (VMBIP)

The Vaccine Management Business Improvement Project (VMBIP) represents the collaborative efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, participating state, local, and territorial immunization programs (“awardees”), and partner agencies to improve vaccine management processes, particularly for publicly-funded vaccine provided through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. By improving vaccine order tracking, inventory visibility, fiscal and dosage accountability, and safety response capability across the supply chain at the federal, state, and local levels, VMBIP has enhanced our nation’s ability to prevent, mitigate, and respond to public health crises. The project began in late 2003, and since then, the following transformative improvements have been achieved:

• VFC Funds Management: CDC launched a transformed funds management model for state, local, and territorial health departments in 2005. Federal funds now flow directly to vaccine manufacturers through two accounts (instead of 64 separate lines of credit), significantly reducing administrative costs. In addition, CDC enhanced the spend plan concept to forecast each health department’s projected vaccine need and funding source by month—key information for managing the vaccine supply chain.
• Centralized Vaccine Distribution: By 2008, CDC had successfully transitioned all 64 awardee health departments from a dispersed model (where they managed their own distribution and 430+ storage depots) to a centralized model (leveraging one private distributor with two national depots) to deliver vaccines directly to providers. The benefits of this change include reduced inventory costs, distribution contract savings, and decreased vaccine wastage.
• Vaccine Tracking System (VTrckS): In 2013, CDC completed the national deployment of this new web-based IT solution for vaccine ordering/forecasting and budget/contract management to CDC and all 64 awardee health departments. As a secure, recoverable system, VTrckS enhances the ability to manage the vaccine supply chain in real-time, while streamlining manual processes and data entry.
• National Pediatric Vaccine Stockpile: CDC now stores a six-month supply of vaccines based on VFC demand rather than the broader national demand, in order to appropriately balance adequate response capabilities for shortages/outbreaks with responsible fiscal stewardship. This change in strategy significantly reduced annual purchase and storage costs, while still ensuring pediatric vaccine availability for public health emergencies.

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