Programs & Tools:
Vaccines for Children Program (VFC)
Vaccines for Children Program Topics:
Inspector General's Report on Vaccines for Children
The Inspector General released a report based on a routine assessment of the Vaccines for Children program (VFC). VFC is a federally funded vaccine program managed by CDC that provides free vaccines to an estimated 40 million uninsured and Medicaid eligible children each year. The assessment, conducted in April and May of 2011, included 45 providers from the five largest city and state VFC grantees. The report highlights some areas for improvement and underscores the importance of maintaining a robust public health system. General recommendations include: ensuring vaccine storage and handling in accordance with VFC requirements, enhancing processes for handling expired vaccines, improving management of vaccine inventories, and ensuring oversight requirements. CDC and our partners are working with a sense of urgency to address these issues. CDC is incorporating the report findings and recommendations in its plan to strengthen VFC, a vital component in the United States’ successful efforts to protect US residents from vaccine preventable diseases.
In the Spotlight
- Frequently Asked VFC Questions and answers document
- VFC Operations Guide
- Vaccine Administration Fees
- CDC Vaccine Price List updated
- Program Data
- Vaccine Storage Toolkit
- Provider Site Visits
- VFC Provider Site Visit Questionnaire updated
- Vaccine Management
- Vaccine Returns and Federal Excise Tax Credit
- Population Estimates Survey
- Non-Compliance with VFC Requirements Algorithm
- VFC Resources from NACCHO
Overview
Welcome to the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.
The VFC program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children who might not otherwise be vaccinated because of inability to pay. VFC was created by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 as a new entitlement program to be a required part of each state's Medicaid plan. The program was officially implemented in October 1994.
Funding for the VFC program is approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and allocated through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC buys vaccines at a discount and distributes them to grantees—i.e., state health departments and certain local and territorial public health agencies—which in turn distribute them at no charge to those private physicians' offices and public health clinics registered as VFC providers.
Children who are eligible for VFC vaccines are entitled to receive pediatric vaccines that are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
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Content last reviewed on January 3, 2011
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases