WASHINGTON – Maine will receive $1.4 million through a federal grant program over the next four years to help continue immunizations and vaccines for children.

The program began in the 1990s under the Clinton administration.

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins said in a joint press release Thursday that despite record lows in vaccine-preventable childhood illnesses, every child should be adequately immunized and the grant funding will help achieve that goal.

The money will be used to cover salaries, wages, equipment and supplies in the effort to immunize children, the senators said.

Maine’s immunization rates are relatively strong. For some vaccines such as diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough), almost 98 out of 100 children are vaccinated. But getting all children vaccinated would further prevent disease and would reduce health care expenditures. According to Healthy Maine 2010, a report released by the Bureau of Health last month, for every dollar spent on vaccines, the health care savings range from about $2 to $24.

The vaccination rates for Maine children rose steadily from 1994 to today. The Bureau of Health partly attributes the improvement to the state’s decision to provide childhood vaccines free to health care providers and to educate the public about the importance of vaccines.