How Public Programs and Federal Agencies Support the VFC Program

What to know

  • The success of the VFC Program is in large part due to a network of public programs and organizations that work to create policies and manage immunization programs at the local, state, and national levels.

VFC Public Program Collaborators

Collaborators include:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) at CDC is responsible for VFC Program:

  • Policy development;
  • Operational oversight; and
  • The provision of technical assistance to projects for the VFC Program.

State Departments of Health

State health department immunization programs manage the VFC Program at the state and local levels. The requirements and procedures of the VFC Program are applicable to all state, city, and territorial immunization programs.

Other Government Agencies and Public Health Associations

Successful implementation of this program at the national, state, and local levels requires close collaboration and participation by a variety of programs and agencies including but not limited to:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Policies are formulated after close consultation with CMS's Medicaid program, public and private health care organizations, and vaccine manufacturers. Active involvement by the Medicaid program is particularly essential because a majority of VFC Program-eligible children are also eligible for Medicaid, and the Medicaid office staff has extensive experience in providing preventive care through other programs (e.g., Early and Periodic Screening Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) program, etc.).

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Pediatricians play a crucial role in immunizing children with being a trusted source for vaccine information, and the AAP supports policy recommendations and laws surrounding immunization for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Recommendations from the AAP help inform parents/guardians on which vaccines are offered through the VFC Program for on-time routine immunization of all children and adolescents according to the Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Departments Of Health

State and local health departments and Medicaid agencies are pivotal in recruiting physicians for the program and informing parents and guardians of eligible children that vaccines are available through the VFC Program. Immunization programs within state and local health departments are also responsible for providing enrolled providers with training, education, and technical assistance and monitoring provider implementation of the VFC Program.

Other Public Partners

The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Maternal and Child Health (MCH) programs, National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), and the federally qualified health centers operating within the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) also have extensive contact with families whose children may be eligible for the VFC Program and are therefore gateways to children's access into the program.

Resources

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Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)
  • CDC. Measles – United States, First 26 Weeks, 1989.MMWR 1989; 38(50): 863-866,871-872
  • CDC. Current Trends Measles – United States, 1989 and First 20 Weeks 1990. MMWR 1990; 39(21): 353-355,361-363
  • CDC. Current Trends Measles – United States, 1990. MMWR 1991; 40(22): 369-372