The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding its childhood vaccination outreach program in rural communities, deploying mobile clinics and partnering with schools, libraries, and community organizations to improve immunization rates that have fallen below recommended levels in several counties.
The initiative, called “Healthy Maine Kids,” targets Aroostook, Washington, Somerset, Piscataquis, and Oxford counties, where childhood vaccination rates for routine immunizations like MMR, DTaP, and polio have dropped below 90 percent — the threshold generally considered necessary for community-level protection.
“Every child in Maine deserves access to vaccines that protect them from preventable diseases, regardless of where they live,” said Maine CDC director Dr. Puthiery Va. “Geographic barriers and provider shortages shouldn’t determine whether a child is protected.”
The program will send mobile vaccination clinics on regular circuits through participating communities, offering free immunizations for children who are uninsured or underinsured. The clinics will set up at schools during parent-teacher events, at libraries during children’s programming, and at community gathering spots like farmers markets and fairs.
“We’ve found that meeting families where they already are — at the school, at the library, at community events — dramatically improves participation,” said program coordinator Jen Hawkins. “Many of these families want to vaccinate their kids but face real barriers like distance to a provider, lack of transportation, or difficulty taking time off work.”
The initiative also includes a provider support component, offering rural pediatric practices and family medicine clinics free vaccine inventory, administrative support, and training to improve their capacity to deliver immunizations.
Maine’s overall childhood vaccination rates remain above the national average, but the rural-urban gap has widened in recent years. The state’s most rural counties tend to have fewer pediatric providers, longer distances to healthcare facilities, and populations that are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured.
“This is about equity,” said Dr. Va. “A child in Caribou should have the same access to preventive care as a child in Portland.”
The program is funded through a combination of CDC immunization grants and state general fund appropriations. The mobile clinics began operations in March and will continue through the end of the year, with the goal of reaching 5,000 children.
