It’s been 30 years since the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program kicked off, and while there’s a lot to celebrate, there’s still room to improve, according to a new CDC report.
The VFC program, which started in 1994, gives kids vaccines for free if they’re eligible—like those covered by Medicaid, those without insurance, and Native American or Alaska Native children who get care at certain health centers. It’s been a game-changer for getting more kids vaccinated.
The report, which dug into data from the past decade (2012-2022), looked at how well kids are keeping up with important vaccines, like the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), the rotavirus vaccine, and a combined series of seven vaccines. They also checked if there were differences in how well VFC-eligible kids were covered based on things like age, income, and more.
Here’s the kicker: In 2021-2022, more than half of U.S. kids (52.2%) were eligible for the VFC program.
Some Vaccines Aren’t Hitting the Mark
The program’s impact has been huge—over the last 30 years, childhood vaccines have prevented around 508 million illnesses, 32 million hospital stays, and saved over a million lives in the U.S., not to mention billions in healthcare costs.
But here’s where it gets tricky: Only about 61% of VFC-eligible kids born in 2020 got all seven recommended vaccines by age two. And vaccines that need multiple doses, especially those given after the first birthday, like DTaP, PCV, and Hib, had some of the lowest coverage rates (around 74%-77%). Compared to kids not eligible for VFC, those in the program were much less likely to get all doses of certain vaccines like MMR and the full seven-vaccine series.
“This shows that getting multiple doses or vaccines in the second year of life can be tough for some kids,” the CDC pointed out.
Good News: Coverage is Still Pretty High
Despite these challenges, the overall vaccine coverage has been pretty solid. Among VFC-eligible kids born from 2011 to 2020, coverage for key vaccines like MMR and the seven-vaccine combo stayed steady, highlighting the program’s success in keeping measles eliminated in the U.S.
However, there’s still a gap: uninsured kids are lagging behind those with Medicaid when it comes to getting all their shots, especially the multi-dose ones.
“Routine vaccines are our best shot (pun intended!) at keeping kids safe from serious illnesses,” said CDC Chief Medical Officer Deb Houry, MD, MPH. “The VFC program is crucial for health equity, helping all kids get their shots on time so they can stay healthy and keep learning.”
