Vaccines: VMBIP/main page

Vaccines: VMBIP/main page

What is the Vaccine Management Business Improvement Project (VMBIP)?

Starting in 2003, VMBIP was the first ever “top-to-bottom” review of vaccine ordering and distribution. VMBIP represents the efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and local immunization program managers, and partner agencies to improve current vaccine management processes at the federal, state, and local levels.

Why is VMBIP important?

Vaccine management and inventory visibility needs have grown dramatically since the inception of the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program in 1994. As such, many vaccine management processes and technologies can benefit from updates.

Currently consisting of a patchwork of stand-alone computer applications and paper-based systems operated by CDC and state and local immunization programs, improving these processes:

• Creates a streamlined approach to vaccine management 
• Enables rapid responses to changes in vaccine supply and demand at the national, state, or local level

There are several major critical components of VMBIP. They are: centralized distribution, vaccine management technology system, funds management, and stockpile.

• Centralized Distribution - The centralized distribution of vaccine from two or three locations eliminates the need for multiple state and local depots. It reduces storage risk and distribution costs, while allowing more visibility into vaccine supply. The centralized distribution contract is held at the Federal level. 
• Vaccine Tracking System - Vaccine Tracking System (VTrckS) is the new vaccine management technology system currently under development. It is a resilient, recoverable, standardized enterprise system that will replace several legacy systems used at CDC, and by state and local grantees. It will include web-based provider ordering technology with automated grantee approval; however, grantees will have overall control of the level of visibility and usage by their providers. 
• Funds Management – Funds now flow through two accounts instead of 64 grantee accounts. As a result, there is improved inventory management and enhanced vaccine visibility which produces significant cost savings and reduces administrative processes.
• Stockpile - The stockpile process includes a migration of a portion of the national pediatric stockpile held by the centralized distributor. This process reduces storage costs and ensures vaccine availability.