From smallpox to chickenpox, we have the ability to protect Americans of all ages from deadly infectious diseases. It is estimated that the Vaccines for Children program will prevent 22 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations, 732,000 deaths and nearly $1.4 trillion in societal costs among the children born over the first 20 years of the program. With the addition of new vaccines in recent years, there is an even greater potential to save millions more both in the United States and abroad.

Unfortunately, disease outbreaks across the U.S. in recent years reflect an ongoing lack of access to vaccines combined with the fact that many Americans still aren’t taking advantage of opportunities to protect themselves, their families and their communities from preventable diseases. Every Child By Two\'s (ECBT\'s) Vaccinate Your Family campaign has launched a new initiative — the State of the ImmUnion — to examine how strong our defenses truly are against vaccine-preventable diseases and what we can do, as public health advocates and legislators, to make our ImmUnion stronger and more resilient in the face of emerging health threats.ECBT is committed to working with stakeholders across the country to ensure all Americans are aware of, and have access to, life-saving vaccines. In this report, ECBT highlights key areas of focus to achieve optimal protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.