In 1963, the U.S. Congress established the Immunization Grant Program; polio incidence plummeted to only 396 reported cases in the U.S. This program was part of the Vaccination Assistance Act, which was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Public Health Service Section 317 Immunization Grants Program was established by the Vaccination Assistance Act of 1962 to assist US jurisdictions in purchasing vaccine doses for polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and measles (added in 1965).

The Immunization Assistance Grant Program marked a pivotal moment in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases, establishing a framework for federal support and collaboration with state and local entities that continues to evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of modern immunization efforts.