Local officials blast proposed cuts to vaccination program

Local health officials are criticizing the White House for including cuts to an immunization program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its proposed 2016 budget.

In a statement, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) said the Obama administration is making a mistake given the widening outbreak of measles in 14 states.

{mosads}”The president’s budget misses an important opportunity to bolster the capacity of the nation’s public health departments to prevent infectious disease outbreaks, including those that are vaccine preventable,” said NACCHO Executive Director Robert M. Pestronk in a statement.

The proposed budget cuts the immunization program by $50 million while increasing funding for other parts of the CDC, including efforts to combat antibiotic resistance and prescription drug abuse.

Debate over vaccination is growing heated, as political leaders begin to weigh in. President Obama and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) have both urged vaccination for all children, while Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has said immunizations should be “voluntary.”

The White House budget also includes a pledge of $1 billion for GAVI, a global public-private partnership dedicated to vaccinating children in poor countries against disease.