Our Mission & Values

1970s

Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Bumpers first joined forces as Governors’ Spouses in their home states of Georgia and Arkansas to increase vaccination rates in their own states. Betty Bumper’s efforts resulted in an increase from 20% vaccination rates to 70% within two years.  She then worked to encourage other First Spouses to prioritize immunization of the children in their home states.

1990s

In 1991, in response to a U.S. measles epidemic which sickened more than 55,000 people, hospitalized 11,000, and killed more than 120 people, many of whom were young children, Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Bumpers founded Every Child By Two (ECBT). Within two years of the establishment of ECBT, our co-founders traveled to more than a dozen states and ultimately to all 50 states to foster vaccination efforts and build immunization coalitions. They were the catalysts behind the Vaccines for Children program and efforts to ensure children and pregnant people with WIC benefits are screened for immunizations.

The organization worked side by side with the American Nurses Association and provider groups including AAP to implement educational programs for healthcare workers and ensure that vaccination became a part of the medical home services.

2000s

Anti-vaccine leaders emerged in the early 2000s to question the safety of immunizations. ECBT pivoted from community engagement to addressing vaccine hesitancy by becoming a primary source of vaccine safety information for both the media and the public. We were the first pro-vaccine group on social media sites including Facebook and our efforts to build vaccine confidence continue. 

TODAY

ECBT is now Vaccinate Your Family (VYF). We share information about, and support efforts to expand access to, vaccines across the lifespan. We are once again returning to our community roots, expanding partnerships to reach every person in the U.S. with science-based information and a pathway to immunization.