Vaccines For Children Program
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What is the Vaccines for Children Program? (CDC website)
The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program  provides vaccines for eligible children at no cost through VFC-enrolled doctors.

Parents: Find out if your child is eligible for VFC vaccines. 

• To find a clinic or doctor near you that participates in the VFC program call your local county health department and ask for your Immunization Field Consultant.
• Over 800 clinics and doctor’s offices in Oklahoma participate in the Vaccines for Children Program, including all county health departments and Indian Health Service and tribal clinics and many private doctors.  
• If your child has private insurance, vaccines are probably covered by your insurance. Oklahoma's Insurance Law requires most health insurance plans to cover all vaccines required to attend school and child care in Oklahoma.
• There is no charge for any vaccines given by a VFC provider to eligible children. But there can be some other costs with a vaccination:
  • Doctors can charge a set (or standard) fee to administer each shot. But if the family can't afford the fee per shot, the fee must be excused. A VFC-eligible child cannot be refused a vaccination due to the parent's or guardian's inability to pay for shot administration.
  • There can be a fee for the office visit.
  • There can be fees for other non-vaccine services provided during the same visit like an eye exam or blood test.

Healthcare Providers: 

• How to Become a Vaccines For Children Provider in Oklahoma
• Vaccine Information Statements (CDC web site) It's federal law! (IAC Web site) You must give your patients Vaccine Information Statements.
• 2013 Recommended Childhood, Adolescent, and Adult Immunization Schedules - United States (CDC website)
• Oklahoma Immunization Update
  • May 2013 Oklahoma Immunization Update (88k.pdf) Pediarix® Allocation, Meningococcal Recommendations
  • Past Issues of Oklahoma Immunization Update
• Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Recommendations (CDC website) 
• Guidance for Vaccinating Children during the Pentacel® and Daptacel® Shortage (CDC website)
• Oklahoma Vaccines For Children Program Provider Resource Guide
• Vaccines Provided by the Vaccines for Children Program (28k.pdf)

Who is Eligible for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program?

Children from birth through 18 years of age in the following categories are eligible for Vaccines For Children vaccines:

• SoonerCare eligible: A child who is eligible for the Medicaid program (SoonerCare in Oklahoma) or is enrolled in the medicaid program.
• Uninsured: A child who has no health insurance coverage
• American Indian or Alaskan Native
• Underinsured:
  • A child who has private health insurance but whose insurance coverage does not include vaccines,
  • A child whose insurance covers only selected vaccines (VFC-eligible for non-covered vaccines only),
  • A child whose insurance caps vaccine coverage at a certain amount. Once that coverage amount is reached, the child is categorized as underinsured and is eligible to receive VFC vaccines.
• 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 has not been met.  While the vaccines are provided free of charge because they are purchased with federal tax dollars, doctors and clinics may charge an “administration fee” to help pay for their costs of doing business.

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How to Become a Vaccines for Children (VFC) Provider

1. Complete the following packet online: VFC Provider Enrollment Packet (649k.pdf)  

2. Print and sign the forms and make a copy for your records. 
Note: If you have any questions about completing the forms, call your local Immunization Field Consultant, or contact the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Immunization Service at 405-271-4073. List of Oklahoma Immunization Field Consultants (26k.pdf)

3. Send the signed originals of the forms to:

Oklahoma State Department of Health - IMM Service
1000 NE 10th Street
Oklahoma City OK 73117

4. Begin recording your refrigerator and freezer temperatures. 
A temperature log is available here (260.6k.pdf). Refrigerator and freezer temperatures must be within the required range to store vaccines.

Important Guidelines for Vaccine Storage Units: Dormitory or dorm-style refrigerators are no longer acceptable for VFC vaccine storage at any time!

• Refrigerators and Freezers for Vaccine Storage (31k.pdf)
• Vaccine Storage and Handling Toolkit (CDC web site)

5. Complete the 2 VFC orientation visits. 
After your forms are received in our office, you will be contacted by a representative of the Immunization Service to schedule two orientation visits: 
a programmatic orientation and a clinical orientation. 
The orientation visits include a review of the requirements for participation in the VFC Program (see "Requirements for VFC Providers" below). 
Most of the requirements are procedures that all clinics providing vaccines already have in place.

6. Receive your first shipment of vaccine.
You will receive your first shipment of vaccine after the orientation visits are completed, and when documentation that your refrigerator and freezer temperatures are within the required temperature range for 5 days has been reviewed. 

Clinics enrolling in the VFC Program will receive a VFC Provider Resource Guide and regular visits by an Immunization Field Consultant.
For more information on the Vaccines for Children Program visit the VFC web site (exit to CDC web site) or call the Immunization Service at 800-234-6196 or (405) 271-4073.

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Oklahoma Vaccines For Children Program Provider Resource Guide 

• Table of Contents (515k.pdf)
• Section 1 - VFC Program Description, Requirements, and Provider Agreement (685k.pdf)
• Section 2 - Storage and Handling

• Section 3 - Oklahoma State Immunization Information System User's Manual (2mb.pdf)
• Section 4 - Resources for Providers

Need help responding to vaccine-hesitant parents? and IAC's "Top 20" free handouts for healthcare professionals and patients (756k.pdf)
VFC Resources & Contact Information (254k.pdf)

• Section 5 - Resources for Nurses - Contents (274k.pdf)

For information on the flu, please visit the Seasonal Influenza page and the Information for Health Professionals page on this web site.

Letters to VFC Providers from the Immunization Service

2011-12 ACIP Influenza Vaccine Recommendations  (282k.pdf) October 7, 2011 
2011 Childhood, Adolescent, & Adult Immunization Schedules (93k.pdf) September 2, 2011
Updated ACIP Recommendations for Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccines (126k.pdf) June 3, 2011 
Revised General Recommendations on Immunizations (47k.pdf) May 16, 2011
Updated Recommendations for Use of Tdap Vaccine (64k.pdf) March 25, 2011 
New Tdap Requirement for 7th Grade Students in Oklahoma (103k.pdf) March 16, 2011

Oklahoma Immunization Update
The Oklahoma Immunization Update provides the latest information on vaccine issues effecting the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, news about vaccines, short articles on clinical issues, schedule changes, and changes in the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. (ACIP). 

Past Issues of Oklahoma Immunization Updates

2013

January 2013 Oklahoma Immunization Update (64k.pdf)
February 2013 Oklahoma Immunization Update (85k.pdf)
March 2013 Oklahoma Immunization Update (63k.pdf)
April 2013 Oklahoma Immunization Update (78k.pdf)

2012

January 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (133k.pdf) 
February 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (108.k.pdf)
March 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (384k.pdf) 
April 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (98.7k.pdf)
May 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (47k.pdf)
June 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (47k.pdf)
July 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (46k.pdf)
August 2012 Immunization Update (48k.pdf)
September 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (117k.pdf)
October 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (145.5k.pdf)
November 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (65.4k.pdf)
December 2012 Oklahoma Immunization Update (202k.pdf)

For editions prior to 2012 contact the Immunization Service at (405) 271-4073

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