State immunization programs will receive reduced funding in fiscal year (FY) 2024, according to emails sent in June to public health immunization managers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and obtained by news organizations. KFF Health News reported that the emails warned of "a significant change to your [vaccine program] budget."
The funding cuts are the result of last spring's U.S. debt ceiling negotiations, which rescinded about $27 billion in unspent federal funds that had been allocated for COVID-19 relief. The so-called clawback was demanded by Republican members of Congress to decrease the amount of money available for nondefense discretionary spending in FY 2024, which began on October 1. The Biden administration had hoped to use some of the unspent COVID-19 money for state and other immunization programs across the country.
These programs will now face budget constraints at a time when vaccination rates are falling. The average rate of MMR, DTaP, and varicella immunization for children entering kindergarten fell below 95% during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with considerably lower average vaccination coverage in some states.
The expected cuts are likely to affect not only vaccination outreach, but the collection of surveillance data used to identify and manage outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, pertussis, and polio.-Betsy Todd, MPH, RN