Cuts to COVID-era funding, Medicaid may have devastating effects in Oklahoma

Each month, the Northern Oklahoma Regional Pediatric Clinic gives hundreds of doses of routine vaccinations to Kay County kids free of charge through a federal program.

Vaccines for Children, a program that helps fund immunizations for low-income kids, is popular in Kay County, said Brandi Glaser, office manager for the Ponca City clinic. Kay County is rural, with about 16% of residents living in poverty and 13% lacking health insurance, according to the U.S. Census Bureau . The clinic ordered 620 doses of vaccines in May alone, which would have cost families $61,000, Glaser said.

“It’s utilized all day, every day in our clinic,” Glaser said.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the program received millions in supplemental funding to help roll out the COVID-19 vaccine, improve vacci