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State faces fewer childhood immunizations, meals for seniors if budget cuts go through

Posted at 8:00 PM, Feb 24, 2013
and last updated 2013-02-25 10:41:26-05

A new report from the White House breaks down the cuts Virginia can expect if forced budget cuts happen this coming week.

While previous estimates have examined how the military and defense industries would fare, the report provides new information on how children and seniors would be impacted, including fewer childhood immunizations, fewer HIV tests and fewer meals for seniors. Click here to read the full report.

Highlights from the report include:

  • In Virginia around 3,530 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and Hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about $241,000.
  • Virginia will lose approximately $1,215,000 in funds that provide meals for seniors.
  • The Virginia State Department of Health will lose about $337,000 resulting in around 8,400 fewer HIV tests.
  • The state will lose approximately $764,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events.
  • In addition, Virginia will lose about $2,140,000 in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 1,700 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs.
  • Virginia will lose approximately $14 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 190 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 14,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 40 fewer schools would receive funding.
  • In addition, Virginia will lose approximately $13.9 million in funds for about 170 teachers, aides, and staff who help children with disabilities.
  • Around 2,120 fewer low income students in Virginia would receive aid to help them finance the costs of college and around 840 fewer students will get work-study jobs that help them pay for college.
  • Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 1,000 children in Virginia, reducing access to critical early education.

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