Vaccines for Children Program - Information for Parents
Vaccines are recommended throughout your child’s life to protect against serious, sometimes deadly diseases. Find out which vaccines are recommended for your child based on their age.
Vaccines for Children Program
The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provides free vaccines to children who qualify.
The VFC program is designed to help protect all children against vaccine-preventable diseases. Unfortunately, many children are not vaccinated because their parents either do not have health insurance or their health insurance does not cover vaccines.
Children are eligible to receive free vaccines before their 19th birthday who:
- are Medicaid-eligible;
- do not have health insurance;
- are an American Indian or Alaskan Native; or
- are underinsured.
If your child is underinsured, you must receive vaccines at a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Clinic. Underinsured is when a child has health insurance, but the plan:
- does not provide vaccine coverage;
- does not cover certain vaccines; or
- does cover vaccines, but has a fixed dollar limit or cap for vaccines.
Underinsured does not include those with an unmet deductible or who are unable to pay the deductible.
All vaccines are free through the VFC program, saving parents hundreds of dollars. However, parents may be charged a small fee by the doctor’s office for an office visit and each shot.
Talk to your doctor if you are unable to pay the fee.
The best place to take your child depends on where you live and your child’s eligibility for the VFC program.
If your child’s doctor isn’t a VFC provider, take your child to the Local Health Department, a Federally Qualified Health Center or a Rural Health Clinic.
Vaccines for Children – Information for Parents
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