Service Results for Preventive Health

Through the VFC program public purchased vaccine is made available at no charge to enrolled public and private health care providers for eligible children.

Before the measles vaccination program started in 1963, an estimated 3 to 4 million people got measles each year in the United States. Of these, approximately 500,000 cases were reported each year to CDC; of these, 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and 1,000 developed encephalitis (brain swelling) from measles.

Newborn screening (NBS) is a public health population based screening system designed to detect and treat infants with special needs who have certain hematologic, endocrine or metabolic disorders. The goal of newborn screening is to eliminate or reduce mortality, morbidity and disabilities that result from the disorders included in the screening panel through early detection and treatment. Early detection of these disorders can prevent the infant from having seizures, physical disabilities, mental retardation, chronic illness or death. By obtaining a few drops of blood from an infant's heel, tests are performed to help find the conditions so treatment can begin early and prevent these effects.