Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Bumpers first joined forces as Governors’ Spouses to increase vaccination rates in their own states, encouraging other First Spouses to collaborate with them.
Our Mission & Values
Our Mission
Vaccinate Your Family’s mission is to protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Each day, we work to achieve our mission by:
- Raising awareness of the critical need for timely immunizations
- Increasing the public’s understanding of the benefits of vaccines
- Increasing confidence in the safety of vaccines
- Ensuring that all families have access to lifesaving vaccines
- Advocating for policies that support timely vaccination
30+ Years
Vaccinate Your Family has spent over 30 years ensuring millions of children and adults have access to vaccines.
Our Case Statement
Read our Case Statement for a summary of our past, present, and future plans.
Our History
Vaccinate Your Family (VYF) builds on the important legacy of Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter and Former First Lady of Arkansas Betty Bumpers.
1970s
1980s
Their work continued during the Carter Administration and throughout the 1980s to increase federal support for vaccine programs nationwide, as well as state-level laws requiring that children receive vaccines before entering kindergarten.
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 e... Read More
2000s
Anti-vaccine leaders emerged in the early 2000s to question the safety of immunizations. ECBT pivoted from community engagement to addressing vaccine hesitancy. We were the first pro-vaccine group on 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-bas... Read More
Videos
Straight from the Source
Hear from our co-founders Rosalynn Carter and Betty Bumpers on how they joined forces to transform the health of a nation through immunizations.
Additional Resources
Still want to know more about Vaccinate Your Family and our work? Read on to learn more or to support our mission.
