New models estimate that since 1994, when the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program was implemented, immunizations have prevented hundreds of millions of illnesses while saving society more than $1 trillion.
After a US measles resurgence in 1989 to 1991, the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1993 created VFC to ensure that children don鈥檛 contract vaccine-preventable diseases because of cost. Children can be vaccinated through the program if they are Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, American Indian/Alaska Native, or underinsured and receive services at a federally qualified health center or rural health clinic. By providing free vaccine for eligible children to public and private health professionals enrolled in VFC, the program has helped reinforce the 鈥渕edical home鈥� concept for children.