USA TODAY – The Bridge Access Program is set to end in August, months earlier than local health departments and health centers expected because when pandemic-era funding from Congress is expiring. Biden administration officials are seeking permanent funding so that routine vaccinations can remain free for adults, through a program akin to the long-standing Vaccines for Children program, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said via email. Leaders at health centers and departments said without the Bridge Access Program, they’re worried about how they’ll secure funding for vaccines in preparation for the winter respiratory viral season when hospitalizations and deaths tend to increase.
Therefore at USA TODAY