CDC spending $146M for spam calls?

[T. Mac]

CDC is one of several agencies that hire NORC, based at the University of Chicago, to conduct population-wide studies on critical issues. Right now, for instance, NORC is fulfilling a $146 million contract for the National Immunization Survey, which collects current data on vaccinations in children.

Several recipients were irate about getting calls because they’ve signed up with the Federal Trade Commission’s Do Not Call Registry. However, government researchers, like other surveyors, are exempt from the registry’s provisions because they are not offering to sell anything to consumers.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41176424...h-health_care/

[TxHillHunter]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41176424...h-health_care/

The NIS is hardly spam. It is a well built survey that relies on confirmation of respondent input with the child's health care provider. Much of the data is used to manage the large entitlement program known as "VFC", or Vaccines for Children program....including the building of budgets for the program. Personally, I'd rather have actual data like the NIS to be used to build an entitlement budget than the typical "take last year and add x%" approach.