The experts said that without approval from the highest health officials, updated Covid shots meant for the Vaccines for Children program, which provides free or low-cost vaccines to low-income children, haven’t yet been shipped. “Children who depend on this program, including children with chronic conditions, are still waiting unprotected. The split between children covered by VFC and those on private health insurance creates another divide in an already-splintering vaccine ecosystem. AdvertisementThe Vaccines for Children program was established in the 1990s to make vaccines more widely available to children. Ahead of the ACIP’s most recent meeting, the largest association of health insurance companies stated it would continue to cover vaccines recommended by ACIP before that meeting.