12/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 13/08/2024 17:15
When the Vaccines for Children (VFC) legislation was passed 30 years ago, it was a historic step in improving children's lives by providing recommended vaccines at no cost to eligible children.
Routine vaccinations are the best defense against illnesses. The VFC program was established to ensure that children below the federal poverty level and those without health insurance have access to critical, lifesaving vaccines that can protect their health throughout their lives.
Almost 90% of VFC-eligible children born during 2011-2020 received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to a new CDC Vital Signs report. There were no differences in receipt of the MMR vaccine found among VFC-eligible children born in 2020 by race and ethnicity, poverty status, and urban-rural residency. This highlights VFC program efforts in achieving and maintaining measles elimination status in the U.S.
In addition, the new CDC Vital Signs report shows routine childhood rotavirus vaccination increased from 65% to 71% among children born in 2011-2020, which shows progress toward achieving high vaccination coverage (proportion of children vaccinated) for all routine immunizations.
Furthermore, a CDC report, issued on August 8, 2024, found that for children born during 1994-2023, routine childhood vaccinations will have prevented approximately 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and 1,129,000 deaths, resulting in societal savings of nearly $2.7 trillion, including a direct savings of $540 billion.
Despite these successes, the new CDC Vital Signs report shows there is still a need to increase the number of children who complete their vaccine series and a need to reach children living below the poverty level and those without health insurance.
Healthcare providers can help reduce missed opportunities for vaccination by giving catch-up vaccinations to all children who are behind. The VFC program plays a vital role in increasing and sustaining vaccination coverage for all vaccinations, including flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. Heightened efforts must ensure those eligible for the VFC program are aware of, have confidence in, and are able to receive all recommended vaccines.
Healthcare providers can:
The Vaccines for Children program is administered nationally by CDC, which provides operational funding to 61 state, local, and territorial immunization programs. Funding recipients implement and oversee the VFC program in their respective areas. The federal government purchases pediatric vaccines at a discount and ships them directly to enrolled VFC vaccine providers to ease the fiscal burden of vaccine purchase and distribution. The VFC program ensures that all children have a better chance of getting their recommended vaccinations on schedule which means healthier children, families, and communities.
For more information on VFC eligibility for children, go to Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program: Information for Parents | VFC Program | CDC.
If you are a healthcare provider interested in enrolling in the VFC program to help ensure all families can get the vaccines they need, please visit Vaccines For Children (VFC) Program Information for Providers | CDC.
For more information about this report, go to www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns.