Vaccines for Children-Plus

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About VFC-Plus | VFC-Plus Illinois | VFC -Plus Chicago

The Vaccines for Children-Plus (VFC) program is a federally funded, state administered program that provides free vaccines to eligible children ages 18 and younger. Vaccines are provided free at no cost to the provider or the patient, although providers may charge an administration fee. Eligible children include the following:

Children who have or are eligible for All Kids/Medicaid
Children with no health insurance
American Indian or Alaska Native children
Children who are underinsured**

Underinsured children are defined as those children who have private health insurance which does not include coverage of vaccines. A child whose health insurance covers only select vaccines or caps the vaccine cost at a certain limit is categorized as underinsured.

Underinsured children in Illinois can receive all VFC vaccines through a VFC enrolled private provider except for varicella, pneumococcal, meningococcal, HPV rotavirus, hepatitis A, MMR-V and influenza; however, underinsured children can obtain these and all other vaccines at a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Clinic.

For more information about VFC-Plus Illinois, please contact:

Mark Amerson
Illinois Department of Public Health
525 W. Jefferson St.
Springfield, IL
217/785-1455
Mark.Amerson@illinois.gov

For more information about VFC-Plus Chicago, please contact:

Marcia Levin
Chicago Department of Public Health
2160 W. Ogden Ave.
Chicago, IL 60612
312/746-6050
levin_marcia@cdph.org

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ICAAP Immunization Initiatives focus on immunization education for providers, policy, and advocacy developed in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health.