Vaccines for Children Program Celebrates 30 Years of Providing Lifesaving Vaccines to Children at No Cost

Press release from the Center for Disease Control: 

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.


“For 30 years, the Vaccines for Children program has been providing lifesaving vaccines to our nation’s children at no cost,” said CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Deb Houry. “Because of congressional support and dedicated partners across the country, we have prevented more than 1.1 million deaths in kids born during the VFC era. There is no better time than now, as families are planning for returning to school, to continue this effort that keeps our children safe from disease and prepares them for the fall and winter virus season.”


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.

  • Only 61% of VFC-eligible children (born in 2020) received 7 selected vaccines (the “combined 7-vaccine series“) by their second birthday. This series includes all recommended doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, measles-containing vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (Hib), hepatitis B vaccine, varicella vaccine, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). Of these vaccines, coverage among VFC-eligible children born in 2020 was about 90% for first doses of vaccines (varicella, MMR) and for series given earlier in life (poliovirus, hepatitis B vaccine).
  • Vaccination coverage was lowest (74%-77%) for vaccines that require multiple doses, with at least one dose recommended after 12 months of age (DTaP, PCV, and Hib). This suggests children face challenges to receiving vaccines that require multiple doses as well as doses in the second year of life.
  • Vaccination coverage was lower among uninsured children than among Medicaid-insured children. Uninsured children are more likely to live at or below the federal poverty level and have not seen a healthcare provider in the past year. They are less likely to complete vaccine series that require multiple doses.
  • VFC-eligible children living below the federal poverty level had lower coverage for rotavirus vaccine and the combined 7-vaccine series compared with VFC-eligible children living at or above the poverty level. Although the VFC program provides recommended childhood vaccines at no cost, non-Medicaid VFC-eligible children, including those who are uninsured, can be charged a vaccine administration fee, and there may also be fees for an office visit or non-vaccine services received during the visit.
DFE Vaccine Series coverage
In the birth year 2020, rotavirus vaccination coverage (by age 8 months) was 83% VFC-non-eligible versus 71% VFC-eligible. In the birth year 2020, combined 7-vaccine series coverage (by age 24 months) was 75% VFC-non-eligible versus 61% VFC-eligible.

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:

  • Offer accurate information on vaccination benefits.
  • Give catch-up vaccines and review for needed vaccines, including those that protect children in the fall virus season that includes flu and other respiratory viruses.
  • Strengthen relationships with families.
  • Use reminder/recall systems to inform parents of upcoming or missed shots.

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.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

13 Let us come and reason together. Isaiah 1:18
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
I like stars
Guest
I like stars
2 months ago

Shots for tots.

Truth Be Told
Member
Truth Be Told
2 months ago
Reply to  fishkiller

And so it begins….

Guest 2
Guest
Guest 2
2 months ago

No cost? Yeah tell that to the moms with vaccine injured kids. Where is the CDC program for them?

D'Tucker Jebs
Member
2 months ago
Reply to  Guest 2

Exceedingly rare. Especially when compared with the millions of people whose lives have been saved by vaccines over the years.

The Real Guest
Guest
The Real Guest
2 months ago
Reply to  D'Tucker Jebs

But, no polio shots for infants in Gaza, thanks to the monster, Netanyahu’s, war, and as a consequence of Biden and Harris enabling him to destroy Gaza, it’s hospitals, and schools, clean water infrastructure, etc., while relentlessly scattering it’s people, hither and yon, over and over, without mercy, killing, maiming, and starving them, for the last 10 months…

A TEN MONTH OLD INFANT IN GAZA HAS CONTRACTED POLIO, DUE TO LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF PROPER VACCINATION…

Shame, shame, shame on Gazas enemies, that are responsible for this…

This ten month old infant, it’s entire existence marred by war, couldn’t possibly be anything besides a totally innocent victim of Israel’s Biden Administration enabled warfare, destruction, and widespread atrocities.

The evil democrats, their ilk, that bear responsibility for this, and their disgrace of an ally, Netanyahu and Israel, have “succeeded” in one thing, which should come as no surprise…

They have resurrected Polio, which should be what they are forever remembered for, unto eternity…!!!

Yes, NEVER FORGET, POLIO HAS BEEN REKINDLED, COURTESY OF NETANYAHU THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, AND IT’S UNFORGIVABLY EVIL WAYS…

KAMALA PROMISED TO NOT BE SILENT ON GAZA…

WHAT WILL SHE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT FACILITATING, AND BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR, THE RETURN OF THE PLAGUE OF POLIO TO GAZA, AFTER THERE NOT BEING A CASE OF POLIO IN GAZA IN THE LAST 25 YEARS…!!!???

Hopefully, Netanyahu, Israel, The IDF, and The US, will wake up to the fact that, them being responsible for polio reoccurring in the infants of Gaza will put the fear of God in them all, and finally will make them realize that they have all gone WAY, WAY, WAY, TOO FAR…

HOW FAR WILL POLIO HAVE TO SPREAD INTO ISRAEL, THE US, AND INTO THE REST OF THE WORLD, FROM GAZA,BEFORE SOMEONE WITH SOME SENSE, PUTS A STOP TO IT, SO THAT THE MADNESS ENDS…???

ITS GONE FAR ENOUGH, LONG AGO…!!!

LETS GET THE CHILDREN AND THE PEOPLE OF GAZA SOME HELP, STOP THEIR SUFFERING, GET THEM SOME CLEAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, ADEQUATE FOOD AND HUMANITARIAN AID, THEIR VACCINATIONS, AND DEMAND ISRAEL VACATE GAZA IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE NETANYAHU’S BIDEN ENABLED EVIL FESTERS INTO SOMETHING FAR WORSE THAN POLIO.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE JOES ABILITY TO FUCK THINGS UP…!!!

“THE RESURRECTION OF POLIO” IS A FITTING LEGACY FOR,”POLIO JOE”, THE BIGGEST DISASTER OF A PRESIDENT IN MODERN DAY HISTORY…

KAMALA IS POISED TO FUCK THINGS UP EVEN WORSE…

CAVEAT EMPTOR…!!!

SILENCE IS COMPLICITY…!!!

SPEAK OUT NOW…!!!

CALL OR WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, YOUR PRESIDENT, YOUR VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, IF THEY ARE, INEXPLICABLY, ONE AND THE SAME…

ALSO MAKE IT CLEAR TO TRUMP THAT THIS NONSENSE IN GAZA MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/8/16/israel-war-on-gaza-live-children-killed-in-israeli-attack-on-jabalia-camp

Screenshot_20240816-184710
Last edited 2 months ago
Vaccines Kill
Guest
Vaccines Kill
2 months ago

Do not under any circumstances vaccinate your children. Vaccines kill, destroy DNA, injure, sterilize, cause autism and many many other things. The proof is out there. Go research. Please, please save the children……PLEASE!!!

The Real Guest
Guest
The Real Guest
2 months ago
Reply to  Vaccines Kill

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68555051

‘The polio survivor known as “the man in the iron lung” has died at the age of 78.’

“Paul Alexander contracted polio in 1952 when he was six, leaving him paralysed from the neck down.
The disease left him unable to breathe independently, leading doctors to place him in the metal cylinder, where he would spend the rest of his life.”

Screenshot_20240817-092026
Last edited 2 months ago
furies
Guest
furies
2 months ago
Reply to  The Real Guest

*A VIRUS* that presents
‘as a cold’…
hmmm sounds familiar

Mr. Clark
Member
2 months ago

NO COST? umm, there is a cost. And our over taxation pays for it. More TAX money wasted on social programs.

Over vaxxing kills and disables
Guest
Over vaxxing kills and disables
2 months ago

” inappropriate social interaction, poor eye contact, compulsive behavior, impulsivity, repetitive movements, self-harm, or persistent repetition of words or actions, learning disabilities or speech delays problems paying attention, unaware of others’ emotions or depression, anxiety, change in voice, sensitivity to sound, or tics ”

These are symptoms of vaccine injury! Symptoms so rampant as to now be viewed as commonplace in our society.

ToO many parents dealing with a child who is “on the spectrum” or “severely autistic; ” a 180% increase since 2000!! And coincidentally the rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the United States also increased 15% from 2019 to 2020 ….

CDC and their repulsive parade of poison jabs is criminal.

6697e38ad720f7da1dc522e1_64db92dc09f5c03382bb7b51_Autism20Prevalence-100
Last edited 2 months ago
Yabut
Guest
Yabut
2 months ago

Red hair, cloudy skies and politician’s speeches are also caused by vaccination. Even worse poor graphics are caused by vaccination too.
You know whatvp really happened in 1970 to increase numbers of people diagnosed with autism? This – “1970s: Psychiatrist Lorna Wing proposes the concept of autism spectrum disorders. She identifies the “triad of impairment,” which includes three areas: social interaction, communication, and imagination.” Yes- the increase was caused by someone redefining it to include a large number of syndromes that previously were called something else. Not vaccination at all.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/autism-timeline-2633213

Angela Robinson
Member
Angela Robinson
2 months ago
Reply to  Yabut

This. How many of us old folks remember the odd kids? They were just considered odd in one way or another. Now they are “on the spectrum”. Or someone like Merle who was kept on the farm because he just wasn’t right (yes, I knew Merle, he was a shirt tail relative).
Now, they are diagnosed.