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DECEMBER 12, 2000

Hoping to increase immunization rates among many of the nation's children, President Bill Clinton on Monday called on the government to conduct a study of the 5 million children under the age of 5 who receive federal aid.

"We need to keep working until every child in every neighborhood is safe from vaccine preventable diseases," said Clinton.

Immunization rates nationally are at an all-time high, with 90 percent of more of children receiving the most important vaccines. But many low-income and minority children don't receive all the critical vaccines and Clinton's effort targets these populations, many of whom participate in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

Administered by the Department of Agriculture, the program provides food, health education, and other services to low-income women and their children. In an executive memorandum issued yesterday, Clinton directs the Department assess the immunization status of WIC participants, referring them to health care providers if necessary.

The memorandum also directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a national plan to improve immunization assessment, referral, and follow-up for at-risk children, such as those in WIC. In many states, studies by the CDC show that immunization rates for children in the WIC program are often lower than the rates for others.

The CDC says the lower rate places children at a higher risk to potentially deadly diseases including diphtheria, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, and rubella. But with the proper vaccinations, these diseases can be prevented.

Among ethnic groups, Native Americans typically lag behind Whites and Asian-Americans in receiving specific immunizations. According to a 1999 study, American Indian and Alaska Native children ages 19-35 months had 90 percent or less coverage for the diptheria, polio, and hepatitis B vaccinations.

Approximately 96,000 American Indian and Alaska Native children participated in the WIC program in 1998, according to the USDA. In total, about 2 percent of WIC participants were Native American women and children. Many tribes and Indian Health Service facilities provide WIC services.

Get the latest immunization numbers:
1999 National Immunization Study (National Immunization Program. Centers for Disease Control)

Get the Memorandum:
Executive Memorandum on Immunization (The Medicine Wheel 12/12)

Relevant Links:
Women, Infants, Children (WIC), Department of Agriculture - www.fns.usda.gov/wic
The National Immunization Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov/nip