VFC Detailed Questions and Answers for Parents

A: Children through 18 years of age who meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible to receive VFC vaccine:

• Medicaid eligible: A child who is eligible for the Medicaid program. (For the purposes of the VFC program, the terms "Medicaid-eligible" and "Medicaid-enrolled" are equivalent and refer to children who have health insurance covered by a state Medicaid program)
• Uninsured: A child who has no health insurance coverage
• American Indian or Alaska Native: As defined by the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)
• Underinsured: A child who has commercial (private) health insurance but the coverage does not include vaccines, a child whose insurance covers only selected vaccines (VFC-eligible for non-covered vaccines only), or a child whose insurance caps vaccine coverage at a certain amount. Once that coverage amount is reached, the child is categorized as underinsured. Underinsured children are eligible to receive VFC vaccine only through a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or Rural Health Clinic (RHC).

Children whose health insurance covers the cost of vaccinations are not eligible for VFC vaccines, even when a claim for the cost of the vaccine and its administration would be denied for payment by the insurance carrier because the plan's deductible had not been met.

What is an FQHC?

An FQHC is a health center that is designated by the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) of the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) to provide health care to a medically underserved population. FQHCs include community and migrant health centers, special health facilities such as those for the homeless and persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that receive grants under the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, and "look-alikes," which meet the qualifications but do not actually receive grant funds. They also include health centers within public housing and Indian health centers.

What is an RHC?

An RHC is a clinic located in a Health Professional Shortage Area, a Medically Underserved Area, or a Governor-Designated Shortage Area. RHCs are required to be staffed by physician assistants, nurse practitioners, or certified nurse midwives at least half of the time that the clinic is open.

A: VFC vaccines can be administered by any enrolled VFC Program provider (private doctor, private clinic, hospitals, Public Health Clinic, Community Health Clinic, Schools, etc.).

Most pediatricians (doctors specializing in the treatment of children) in the United States and its Territories are now VFC enrolled providers. Additionally, many family practice providers are enrolled, as well as general practitioners, and many other sub-specialty healthcare providers. In some States, schools are enrolled. Altogether, there are over 44,000 providers enrolled in the VFC Program nationwide.

Your State or Territory Health Department is responsible for managing the VFC Program where you reside. Each State or Territory has a VFC Program Coordinator that is responsible for enrolling providers and monitoring the provider's participation in the program. For help with locating a VFC enrolled provider near your home, please consult the complete list of State/Territory VFC Coordinators and contact your State/Territory VFC Coordinator.

A: If your child meets one of the VFC eligibility criteria listed above, the vaccine must always be provided free of charge.

Free of charge means just that. The vaccines have already been paid for with federal tax dollars. This means that no one can charge a fee for the vaccine itself.

However, each state immunization provider has been granted (by law) the ability to charge what is called an "administrative fee." An administrative fee is similar to a patient's co-pay, in that it helps providers offset their costs of doing business.

The amount of the administrative fee differs from state to state, based on a regional scale determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Consult this chart for the maximum regional charges for vaccine administration by state[124 KB, 2 pages]

These regional administrative charges are maximum fees that providers may ask patients to pay. That means that if a state's administrative fee is $15.00, a provider may charge a patient any amount up to, but not exceeding that $15.00 charge, for each vaccine administered. There is no lower limit, so providers have the option to charge what they feel is fair, including no charge at all.

A: There are many single and combination vaccines that are licensed in the US and that protect children against 14 preventable diseases. The vaccines available through the VFC are determined by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). CDC, as the administrator of VFC, purchases and distributes the vaccines. VFC covers any vaccines included in the immunization schedules:

• Parent version of recommended immunizations for children from birth through 6 years old[481KB - 2 pages]
• Parent version of recommended immunizations for children from 7 through 18 years old [265KB - 2 pages]

Diseases that are preventable by recommended childhood vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) include the following. Each disease is briefly described on the 2nd page of the above linked documents.

• Diphtheria
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Influenza (flu)
• Measles
• Meningococcal
• Mumps
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Pneumococcal
• Polio
• Rotavirus
• Rubella (German Measles)
• Tetanus (lockjaw)
• Varicella (chickenpox)

A: CDC Vaccines and Immunizations web site
Email: nipinfo@cdc.gov
Provides information about vaccines, including precautions and contraindications for immunization, and vaccine-preventable diseases.

CDC Information Contact Center
Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov
1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348

• Vaccines for Children (VFC) Q&As
  • English version  [482 KB, 1 page]
• Spanish version  [541 KB,1 page]
• Vaccine Information Statements
• VFC Contacts
• VFC Acronyms
• Recommeded Catch-up Immunization Schedule
• State Immunization Program Web Sites