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However, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey, only 54% of pregnant patients received the flu and Tdap vaccines between October 2020 and January 2021. A study conducted in Florida from 2016 to 2018 found that while 68.6% of pregnant women with private insurance received the Tdap vaccine, only 13.4% of those on Medicaid received it. The same study found that 70.4% of pregnant women with private insurance received their flu shot, versus just about half that number for those reliant on Medicaid.
The bipartisan Maternal Immunization Coverage Act (S. 1117) would require that state Medicaid programs cover ACIP-recommended vaccines for pregnant Medicaid enrollees without cost-sharing.
“It is critical that pregnant women are able to receive vaccines that protect their own health and the health of their babies, regardless of their ability to pay,” said Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH).
The Maternal Immunization Coverage Act was reintroduced by Sens. Hassan and Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) in 2021. Please urge your representative to co-sponsor and support S. 1117. If they have already sponsored or co-sponsored the bill, you can send a message of thanks.