The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program provides vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them. Serving as one of the nation’s most important contributors to health equity, the program helps ensure that all children have a better chance of getting their recommended vaccinations on schedule and staying healthy.
History of the VFC Program– In 1989 – 1991, a measles epidemic in the United States resulted in tens of thousands of cases of measles and hundreds of deaths. In response to this measles epidemic, Congress passed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) on August 10, 1993, creating the VFC Program. The VFC Program became operational on October 1, 1994.
Vaccines provided through the VFC Program must be administered according to the guidelines outlined by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in VFC Program resolutions. The resolutions represent the rules that providers must follow for administering each specific vaccine under the VFC Program.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approves funding for the VFC Program, then allocates the funds through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to CDC. After receiving the funds, CDC buys the vaccines at a discount and distributes them to VFC Program providers at the direction of awardees (i.e., the 61 state, local, and territorial immunization programs who receive operational funding from the CDC to implement and oversee their VFC Programs).
CHILDREN WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE VFC PROGRAM
Children ages 18 years or younger who meet at least one of the following requirements:
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Medicaid-eligible
- Uninsured
- Underinsured
PARENT/GUARDIANS
If you are unable to pay for your child’s vaccines, contact your Local Health Unit to schedule an appointment. Click on the provided link for your Local Health Unit location: Local Health Units.
IQIP PROGRAM
IQIP is CDC’s national, Vaccines for Children (VFC) provider-level immunization quality improvement (QI) program. IQIP serves to assist and support health care providers by identifying opportunities to improve vaccine uptake and to help providers be:
- Motivated to try new vaccination service delivery strategies and incorporate changes into their current practices
- Supported in sustaining changes and improvement to their vaccination service delivery
- Aware of and knowledgeable about vaccination coverage and missed opportunities to vaccinate
- Able to use available data from the IIS to improve services and coverage
The IQIP Program provides a simple quality improvement (QI) Process for VFC-enrolled providers to improve their clinic vaccination processes and increase their patient vaccination coverage rates.
If you are interested in becoming a VFC Provider, submit a ticket to the AR WebIZ Help Desk or contact the ADH Immunization Program at 501-537-8969
Contact Us
ADH Immunizations VFC/IQI
4815 West Markharm Street, Slot 48
Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: 501-537-8969
