Moderator  00:00

Brittany, welcome and thank you all for standing by at this time. I would like to inform all participants that your lines have been placed on a listen only mode until the question and answer session of today’s call. Today’s call is also being recorded. If you do have any objections, you may disconnect at this time, and I will now turn the call over to Brittany, Manchester. Thank you. You may begin.

Brittney Manchester  00:23

Thank you Sue and thank you all for joining us today as we release a new CDC vital signs. We are joined today by our two speakers, Dr Deborah Houry, CDC chief medical officer and Dr Georgina Peacock, Director of CDC immunization Services Division, this briefing is embargoed until 1pm eastern today, when our vital signs will go live on the CDC website. I’ll now turn the call over to Dr alrey.

Dr. Debra Houry  00:55

Routine vaccinations are our best defense against illnesses that can make kids seriously ill, a key tool that can keep kids healthy in school and ready to learn. Vaccines have saved lives for over 100 years, but serious disease is still a major threat to those unvaccinated. Getting vaccinated on time is essential throughout childhood and with back to school around the corner. Now is a great time for families to check if your child is up to date with their routine health care. Today, in this vital signs report, we report data on a landmark program started in 1994 by Congress, the Vaccines for Children, or VFC program. Congress established this program to provide routine vaccines at no cost to eligible children. Since the introduction of the VFC program, routine vaccination of children born during 1994 to 2023 will have prevented 508 million illnesses saved over 1 million lives, saving nearly 2.7 trillion in societal costs. This means that every dollar spent on childhood immunizations results in a savings of approximately $11 in 2023 VFC distributed over 74 million doses of pediatric vaccines to participating healthcare providers, anyone ages 18 or younger who is Medicaid eligible, uninsured, underinsured or American Indian or Alaska Native can receive vaccines from VFC program providers at no cost. CDC currently funds 61 state, local and territorial immunization programs to implement the VFC program at over 37,000 enrolled locations, providing all recommended childhood vaccinations against 19 different diseases. Supporting young families is a priority for CDC public health efforts. This program serves as one of the nation’s most important contributors to health equity. It helps all children have a better chance of getting their recommended vaccinations on schedule. Vaccinating on time means healthier children, families and communities. Now I will turn it over to Dr Georgina Peacock, who will highlight the findings of today’s vital signs report.

Dr. Georgina Peacock  03:22

Thank you. Dr Houry, today’s vital signs highlights the historic success of the Vaccines for Children program and how we can further reduce gaps in vaccination coverage for eligible children. Vaccination coverage is the estimated percentage of people who have received specific vaccines. The vital signs report found that almost 90% of VFC eligible children born in 2020 received the measles, mumps and rubella or MMR vaccine with no differences in coverage by race and ethnicity, poverty status or living in urban versus rural areas. These new data shows the VFC program has helped ensure that all children can receive life saving vaccine. There are still opportunities to increase coverage with recommended vaccines for VFC eligible children. Vaccination coverage among VFC eligible children born in 2011 through 2020 was lower than that among children not eligible for VFC who were born in those same years. For children born in 2020, vaccination coverage was lower among VFC eligible children who were uninsured compared to those who were enrolled in Medicaid. Coverage was also lower for those living below versus at or above the poverty level, except for the MMR vaccine. Although the VFC program provides recommended childhood vaccine at no cost, uninsured children and children living in poverty may face other barriers to vaccination. The. Combined coverage for the seven selected vaccines known as the combined seven series, was just over 61% for VFC eligible children born in 2020 for individual vaccines in these series, uptake was highest around 90% for the first doses of vaccines and vaccines given earlier in life, vaccination coverage was lowest for vaccines that require multiple doses with at least one dose given after 12 months of age. This suggests children face challenges to receiving vaccines that require multiple doses as well as doses in the second year of life. For the rotavirus vaccine, which was not included in the combined seven series, vaccination coverage by eight months among VFC eligible children was up to 71% increasing modestly each year. Healthcare providers can help increase vaccination coverage by strongly recommending vaccines and assessing the needs for vaccines at every visit, together, we can increase the number of children receiving recommended vaccinations and help protect children from illness and severe disease.

Dr. Debra Houry  06:12

Thank you. Dr Peacock, this vital signs report identifies the many successes of the Vaccines for Children program, but also highlights the need to reduce the gaps in vaccination coverage for children living below the poverty level and those without health insurance. We need to do more. Health care providers are our crucial partners to increase the number of children who complete their vaccine series and reach those children living below the poverty level and without health insurance, health care providers can promote vaccinations by encouraging all recommended childhood vaccines, strengthening family provider relationships, educating parents about vaccine benefits and participating in the VFC program to provide vaccinations during routine appointments for those who qualify, CDC launched, let’s rise or routine immunizations on schedule for everyone and 2023 to get Americans caught up on vaccines that were missed or delayed during the covid 19 pandemic. This will help make sure that children and adolescents are up to date with all recommended vaccines, and can help keep kids healthy in school and ready to learn. Families can get vaccinations for their child at any private doctor, private clinic, hospital, public health clinic, community health clinic, schools or pharmacy that is an enrolled BFC program provider. To find a BFC program provider near you, contact your state or local health department. I will now open it up for questions.

Brittney Manchester  07:46

Thank you. Dr ally and Dr peacock Sue, we are ready for questions.

Moderator  07:52

Thank you at this time, if you would like to ask a question, please ensure that your phone is unmuted. Press star one and record your name clearly when prompted, if you would need to withdraw your request, you may press star two again to ask a question that is star one. And we do ask that you limit yourself to one question and one follow up question, one moment for the first question, our first question is from Mike stoby with the Associated Press. You may go ahead.

Unknown Speaker  08:28

Hi. Thank you for doing this call and for taking my question. My first question is, I’m sorry I see information about vaccine eligible children, but I was wondering if there’s a statistic about just how many children in the US get shots through VFC each year. I having trouble finding a simple statement about how many children, or what percentage of us children, get their vaccinations through VFC. And my follow up question. You talked about the DR hour. You talked about the importance of medical providers. I was wondering if you could say a little bit more about participation by providers in DFC. Is that increasing or decreasing? Is it at the level you need? Is there a goal you’re trying to reach? Thank you. Hi, thanks.

Dr. Georgina Peacock  09:21

This is Dr Peacock, so the answer to your first question is that there are more than about 40 million children that are eligible for VFC. So we estimate that about half of the children in the United States receive their vaccinations through VFC. As far as vaccination, or, sorry, participation. We currently have about 37,000 providers. We do know that there are places where there is a need for increased access to vaccinations, and therefore we are still looking to increase the number of VFC providers this year in particular. We are focusing on enrolling more birthing hospitals as VFC providers. Last year, as you know, we launched the new immunization nirsevimab, which protects infants against RSV and the best place for those infants to get that immunization is in a birthing hospital before they go home, and therefore increasing the number of birthing hospitals that are VFC providers provides them that access before they’re discharged to home.

Dr. Debra Houry  10:27

And this is Dr Harry. The thing I would just add is that I think it’s important to have both improved access as well as improved and increased confidence. And so this is where providers have such a key role, is ensuring that confidence and having those conversations with parents, and this is where media also has an important role in increasing confidence in the science that we do and promoting the need for vaccines, particularly as all of our kiddos are going back to school.

Moderator  10:57

Thank you. At this time, there are no further questions as a reminder, if you would like to ask a question, please press star one one moment to see if we have any further questions. You one moment for the next question. Our next question is from Nick Carmina. Carmia with KJ, ZZ, news in Phoenix, you may go ahead.

Unknown Speaker  11:38

Thank you so much. You guys hear me. Okay, yes,

Unknown Speaker  11:44

awesome once again. Thank you for making this call happen. Just curious. We’re an NPR member station out here in Phoenix, and we were wondering if you could provide any data that’s specific to the States. I know that you had mentioned just before, 30,000 37,000 different locations. Are there? Are there a lot of those inside of Arizona, are those consolidated and particular states within the country.

Dr. Georgina Peacock  12:15

So there are this Dr Peacock, there are vaccine providers that our VFC providers in every state, the Vaccines for Children program is actually administered through state immunization programs, and so therefore, the Arizona State Health Department runs an immunization program and enrolls VFC providers In that program.

Unknown Speaker  12:40

Just a quick follow up for you. I know that you, if I’m recalling correctly here, you had mentioned low rates with vaccines, or low rates among children getting vaccinated with with vaccines that required multiple doses. Is there a particular reason for that is that? Is that coming just out of the pandemic needing multiple doses for the covid vaccine. Where does kind of that lack of confidence coming from?

Dr. Georgina Peacock  13:07

So some of that may be lack of confidence. Some of that can be accessed. So many of the vaccines that are offered in the first two years of life, you need more than one in those series. So, for example, the DCAP, you get three of those doses in that first two years of life. And so what we found was that there, there was a higher likelihood that children got that first dose, but then, because they need to get those three doses. Therefore, when we moved into the second year of life, we saw that those theories were not necessarily completed, and so the seven combined series is the doses, all of those doses that are needed in those first two years of life to therefore be up to date with that vaccination. Thank you.

Moderator  14:06

Thank you. And as a reminder, that is star one. If you would like to ask a question, our next question is from Mike stoby with the Associated Press. You may go ahead.

Unknown Speaker  14:18

Hi, thanks. I’ll go again, if the opportunity affords itself, thank you. I just wanted to ask a little bit more about the difference in vaccination coverage between VFC eligible and non eligible. And what’s happened lately, the information seems to cut off at 2020. I was wondering if you had additional information about vaccination rates for MMR or the seven vaccine series or rotavirus Since 2020 what’s been happening is VFC having more success in the last three or four years, or less success. Can you give us an understanding of how things are trending? I.

Dr. Georgina Peacock  15:00

So in order to look at, for example, the completion of the seven combined vaccine series, we need children to reach two years of age in order to provide that information. And that’s why we’re looking at children in this particular study from that 2020, birth year. I’m going to turn it over to the first author of the study to see if she has anything to add. Maddie Billy,

Madeline Valier  15:26

Hi, yes, I would just like to add that this study uses the most recent data we have available. It’s the 2022 National Immunization Survey child data. The 2023 data is currently being analyzed and is slated to be published later this year.

Unknown Speaker  15:41

Oh, great. And who was that?

Unknown Speaker  15:43

Madeline baller, yes, this is Madeline Valier. Valer, thank you.

Unknown Speaker  15:52

Thank you. And

Moderator  15:53

at this time, there are no further questions. Again, as a reminder, if you would like to ask a question, please press star one one moment to see if there’s any further questions, and one moment for the next question. Our next question is from Halina Olivera with the Atlanta Journal Constitution. You may go ahead.

Unknown Speaker  16:23

Yeah, hi. Thank you so much, and thanks for taking my question. This is probably somewhere in the report or the study. I just don’t see it, so I want to make sure I have it at my fingertips when you hear when you talk about almost 90% of VFC eligible children born between 2011 and 220 received the MMR vaccine. What? What is the percent of non VFC eligible children that have gotten the MMR vaccine during that time period?

Madeline Valier  17:01

Hi, this is Madeline Valier. In the study, we don’t specifically publish coverage among non VSC eligible children, but we do show the difference in coverage. So if you take 90% and then the difference in coverage is about three and a half percentage points among children born in 2020 you’ll see that the coverage among non VSC eligible children is just over 93% Great. Thank you.

Moderator  17:29

Thank you. Our next question is from Yuri benid with ABC News, you may go ahead.

Unknown Speaker  17:37

Hi there. Thanks for taking my question. I have a more general question in regards to immunization of minors in general, I understand that this study looked at particularly younger populations, but a lot of states are cracking down on and I’m thinking particularly of Tennessee, whether children, you know, can get vaccinated without the presence of their parent. I’m wondering if the CDC has any thoughts on that, or on how that may, you know, be another barrier to to getting children vaccinated. Thanks.

Dr. Georgina Peacock  18:10

Hi. This is Dr Peacock, so those types of consent laws tend to be at the state level, and so it would be important to follow up specifically with sort of state immunization programs or departments of health on the that information.

Unknown Speaker  18:31

Thank you,

Moderator  18:32

and that was our last question. I will now turn it back to the speakers for any closing remarks.

Brittney Manchester  18:38

Thank you, Dr Houry and Dr peacock for joining us today, as well as all the reporters on the line for any follow up questions, please call the CDC Division of Media Relations at 404-639-3286 or send us an email at media@cdc.gov Thank you again for joining us. This now concludes our call.

Moderator  19:02

Thank you that does conclude today’s conference. Thank you all for your participation. You may now disconnect. You.