US insurers' move to back vaccines sends 'powerful' message about safety of shots, experts say

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Sun 7 Jun 2026 07.00 EDT
Last modified on Sun 7 Jun 2026 07.01 EDT


A group of insurers will continue covering routine vaccines through 2027 as the Trump administration once again takes aim at the shots and outbreaks of preventable illnesses such as measles and whooping cough lead to hospitalizations and deaths. Experts told the Guardian that the move has raised questions ahead of the November midterms, but certainly indicates that insurance companies believe vaccines are “safe and effective”.

AHIP, the national trade organization representing the insurance industry in the US, announced at the end of May that its members will continue covering routine vaccines through 2027, an extension of a similar policy for 2026, after a halt to the controversial decisions made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip).

The decision is a “powerful” example of how insurance companies, which have detailed data on health outcomes after vaccination and vaccine-preventable illnesses alike, “are clearly choosing to cover vaccines because they know that they are safe and effective,” said Elizabeth Jacobs, an epidemiology professor at the University of Arizona and a founding member of the grassroots organization Defend Public Health.

“They understand that there is a benefit there to people being vaccinated, especially kids, and I’m sure they’ve run the numbers and they know that it will cost them a heck of a lot more to treat kids with measles who are hospitalized than it is to pay for vaccines,” Jacobs added. There have been nearly 2,000 confirmed cases of measles so far this year, and last year had record-high rates of whooping cough as vaccinations declined.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/07/insurance-coverage-vaccines-trump

[johnnyfins]

1. There is nothing to believe or not believe

Science and years of data say vaccines are safe and effective. End of story.

[CousinIT]

2. Vaccines are cheaper than sick and/or dying people. n/t

[erronis]

3. The insurers are always looking at their bottom line.

They don't care about the well-being of their customers; just what maximizes their profits over the long term.

Perhaps keeping clients alive via vaccines (for which they receive handsome payments) is better than letting them get sick and requiring much more expensive support.

This federal government is not operating on any economically sound basis other than grabbing as much money from the till before they skedaddle.

[JT45242]

4. They know prevention is cheaper and more immediate...

But for long term illnesses, they fight coverage because they are counting on it being a different company problem . why they fight against GLP-1 medicine for prediabetic people who don't have high A1C but have high weight, cholesterol, etc. those drugs affect super long term health problems.

Measles, chicken pox, hib,RSVP, tetanus, etc. happen in the young and are not likely to be a Medicare or Medicaid patient.

[GiqueCee]

5. "... insurance companies believe vaccines are "safe and effective"...

... "BELIEVE" they're safe and effective? Vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective for more than a century! RFK, Jr., the shame of the Kennedy clan, is a malicious, lying sack of brainworm excrement. He is utterly devoid of ANY redeeming qualities whatsoever. He is directly responsible for God only knows how many deaths of those stupid enough to believe his self-serving bullshit. Because of Kennedy's lies, the deaths of babies denied vitamin K shots at birth have skyrocketed, and their idiot parents should be prosecuted for negligent homicide.
But all this is just one of hundreds of examples of "Flooding The Zone", a concept promoted by that asshole, Steve Bannon, and now adopted by those traitors helping Putin's puppet, Donald J. Trump, destroy the country from within, and bring America to its knees.
But know this, motherfuckers: It ain't gonna be that easy, and you're gonna pay, and pay dearly for your treachery. There will be no "Truth And Reconciliation" to save your evil asses; you're ALL going down, and you're going down HARD.

[Sweet Rosie Red]

9. "Believing" has replaced thinking in this country

Years ago, in a very right wing state and community, Mr Sweet was substitute teaching a 3rd grade class. In the middle of a science lesson, a little girl raised her hand and when he invited her question, said “I don’t believe you!” Mt Sweet just smiled at her and said, “The good thing about scientific facts is that they exist whether you believe it or not”, and went on with the lesson. In our discussion that night, we came to the conclusion that the best and only way to communicate with people in that part of the state was Never Make Them Think! It needs to be the motto of the Democratic Party this cycle. I often think that little girl was probably pregnant at 15.

[ToxMarz]

6. Insurers jack up rates on high risk groups, they should do the same on willful anti vaxers

They cost us all more for health care.

[AllaN01Bear]

7. good

[GusBob]

8. Insurance companies and lawyers

Corporations and lawsuits can fight anti vaccination idiots
Children who were injured thru medical neglect by anti vaxx parents should sue their parents IMO the parents should be imprisoned
Insurance companies know actuaries and need to cut costs. Don’t insure anti vaxxers let them suffer and be medically bankrupt

Fight back the American way!