ACIP Vote Sparks Concern โOver Childhood Vaccine Access
Atlanta, GA – A recent vote by the Centersโ for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to remove childhood vaccines from the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program eligibility has raised alarms among public โhealth โadvocates and state officials, perhaps leaving hundreds of thousands of uninsured or underinsured children vulnerable toโฃ preventable diseases. The decision, finalized on February 23, 2024, shifts โvaccine โฃpurchasing responsibility โฃto states, a move critics fear will create logistical hurdles and exacerbate existing inequities inโ healthcare access.
The โฃACIP vote stems from Congress’s failure to allocate additional funding for the VFC program, which provides vaccines to eligible children who might otherwise go without. While the CDC โฃwill continue to purchase vaccines for the VFC program, states will โคnow be responsible for covering the costs of administering those vaccines, as well as purchasing vaccines for children not covered by the VFC program. This โคchange impactsโค an estimated 31.4 million children inโข the United States, with the potential for significant disparities in vaccination rates depending on state resourcesโ and policy decisions. โค
Several states are already taking โsteps to mitigate the impact. Pennsylvania Governor Joshโ Shapiro is exploringโข the โcreation of a state-funded vaccineโ program for uninsured and underinsured children, citing a lack of trust in the CDCโค as a motivating factor. Similar coalitions are forming โขin the Northeast and Northwest to establish regional expert advisory groupsโ and ensure continued accessโ toโค vaccinations.
The Americanโ Academy of Pediatrics, the American โคCollege of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,โ and the Infectious Disease Society of America have โall โissuedโ recommendations โฃemphasizing the importance of evidence-based vaccination schedules and urging continued efforts to maintain high immunization rates.These organizations serve as key resources for accurate information amidst growing vaccine hesitancy and โmisinformation.
