Gaps in routine immunizations

LEARN ABOUT THE VACCINE GAP

The latest data from the CDC show that an estimated 70.5 percent of children born in 2017 and 2018 were up to date on all of the seven-vaccine series recommended by CDC.^[1] But there are persistent disparities in vaccination coverage:

By health insurance status
Less than half (48.3 percent) of children with no insurance received the full series of recommended vaccines, compared to children with Medicaid coverage (65.6 percent), and those with private insurance (78.3 percent).^[2]

By race and ethnicity
Black, non-Hispanic children (64.7 percent) and Hispanic children (66.3) were the least likely to receive the recommended vaccines, compared to White, non-Hispanic children (74.7 percent) and Asian, non-Hispanic children (74.2 percent).^[3]

By poverty status
Just 62.5 percent of children below poverty had received the recommended vaccines, while 74.7 percent of all other children had received the full series.^[4]

Understanding barriers to routine childhood immunizations

In an April 2022 survey of parents with children ages 0-6 who are currently uninsured or covered by Medicaid, factors related to trust, knowledge, and access to health care influenced their decision about routine vaccinations.

View the results of this survey here:

Understanding Barriers to Routine Childhood Immunization

This survey was conducted by March of Dimes, with funding support from Pfizer.