Early Care and Education Protects Children Against Vaccine-Preventable Disease

For Higher Immunization Rates: Fund $450 Billion for Child Care

Vaccines prevent diseases that, for centuries, killed or impaired children for life. A 2013 New England Journal of Medicine study estimated that childhood vaccination programs have prevented 103.1 million cases of diphtheria, hepatitis A, measles, mumps, pertussis, polio and rubella since 1924. For every $1 spent on immunization, $16.50 is saved in later costs. BUT Immunization rates are declining sharply, as much as 60% in some states. Reopening child care safely will boost immunization rates, including eventual vaccination against COVID19. IMMUNIZATION IS CRUCIAL TO CHILD HEALTH BUT VACCINATION RATES IN THE GENERAL POPULATION ARE DECLINING STARKLY In 2017, for young children not participating in early care and education programs, only 70.4% of children between the ages of 19 and 35 months were immunized in conformance with medical recommendations. In the early pandemic months, vaccine dose orders in the core federal vaccine program for children dropped as much as 60-70% in some states, as child care programs closed and parents were afraid to show up at clinics. Low rates of protection against measles and influenza could result in increased illness among children (and potentially adults) during the coming autumn and winter months. Measles outbreaks are already occurring. CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN HEAD START AND CHILD CARE HAVE MUCH HIGHER RATES OF PARTICIPATION IN IMMUNIZATION In 2019, 96% of Head Start children were fully immunized, as required by the Head Start Performance Standards. In 2017, licensed spaces in all types of settings, including home-based child care, were available to 10.5 million US children. Up to date Immunization is required (with some exemptions permitted) for participation in licensed: child care centers in all states

family child care homes in 43 states.

Child care-participating children will rapidly receive the eventual COVID 19 vaccine, once a safe vaccine is ready.

For Better Child and Adult Health, Fund Child Care.

Thanks to the contributions of Elita Farahdel, Dr. Rick Fiene; Caroline Wojcik; and Claire Yang. Thanks also to First 5 Santa Clara for funding and support.

Peggy Daly Pizzo Former Director, Early Learning Project Stanford Graduate School of Education and Former Associate Director for Human Resources White House Domestic Policy Staff

Philip A. Pizzo, MD The David and Susan Heckerman Professor of Pediatrics and of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University and Former dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine

copyright 2021