By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation I believe that each child in this country must have the opportunity to live a healthy and full life. Therefore, I am taking dramatic steps to ensure that all children are fully immunized at the earliest appropriate age against preventable, infectious diseases.
Immunizations save lives, prevent suffering, and allow significant savings in health care costs.
In the recent measles epidemic, for example, an estimated one-half of the reported cases occurred among unvaccinated preschool children. My Administration has launched a comprehensive initiative on immunization, including new funding for immunization programs in cities throughout the United States. In addition, I have submitted legislation that, if passed, would provide for free vaccinations to all children, a new tracking system to help inform parents when immunization is needed, new avenues of outreach to parents, and other necessary measures designed to create a comprehensive immunization program. We must expand our efforts to every community and demand the full attention and cooperation of everyone in our society in order to find solutions to our problems. Much is being done.