The Vaccines for Children Program: Benefiting Providers and Patients Alike

In 1989 - 1991, a measles epidemic in the United States resulted in thousands of cases of measles leading to hundreds of deaths. Upon investigation, CDC found that more than half of the children who had measles had not been immunized, even though many of them had seen a health care provider (1).

In partial response to that epidemic, Congress passed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) on August 10, 1993, creating the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. VFC became operational October 1, 1994. Known as section 1928 of the Social Security Act, the Vaccines for Children program is an entitlement program (a right granted by law) for eligible children, age 18 and younger (1).

The VFC program is helping prevent devastating diseases in children and adolescents all over the country. The program ensures that all children have the opportunity to receive immunizations regardless if their parent or guardian is capable of paying for the vaccines. All vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) are available to babies, children, and adolescents who are eligible to receive VFC vaccines.

Providers and patients both benefit from the VFC program. Some valuable benefits of participating in the VFC program include:  

• Keeping patients within your practice for their convenience and your benefit
• Reducing up-front and out of pocket costs associated with purchasing vaccines for eligible children
• Providing high quality care to children whose parent or guardian may not be able to afford vaccinations
• Protecting the community from preventable diseases by following strict CDC guidelines for the storage, handling, and administration of vaccines

Any provider authorized to prescribe vaccines under state law can participate in the VFC program. Each state has a designated VFC representative that helps communicate program benefits and requirements to providers within their state. A full list of VFC coordinators for each state can be found here. Contact your coordinator to request a Provider Enrollment Package today.

Already a VFC provider, download our Ultimate Guide to Vaccine storage for information on how to properly store your VFC vaccine.