Program Aims To Get All Illinois Children Vaccinated

ILLINOIS — In its ongoing commitment to increasing vaccination rates across the state, Gov. JB Pritzker's administration is taking action to make vaccines more easily available for low-income children. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) last week announced the availability of vaccines for children covered under the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) through the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program.

State officials said the program will increase the number of providers and help ensure vaccines are more readily available for low-income children.

"Illinois is committed to every child being vaccinated," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. "The U.S. is seeing the greatest number of measles cases since 1992 despite the fact that measles was declared eliminated in 2000. Vaccination is the safest and most effective way to help prevent measles cases and outbreaks, and we are continuing to take aggressive action to ensure that all children continue to have access to vaccines."

HFS Director Theresa Eagleson said it is "crucual" for kids to receive their vaccinations during sick or well visits, "without having to go places at a different date that may also be far away. With this important step, we are enhancing vital access to health care and helping to keep the people of Illinois safe and healthy."

The VFC program is a federally funded program that provides vaccines for children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them. Children who are eligible for the VFC program are younger than 19 years old and either Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, or American Indian or Alaska Native.

CHIP is a partnership between the federal and state governments that provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Families with children under age 19 who meet insurance and income requirements are eligible.

The programs were separated in 2016, under the previous administration, and vaccines for children covered by CHIP were no longer able to be ordered through the VFC program. Under the new administration, HFS and IDPH have been working together to rejoin the programs and increase provider participation so that all children in Illinois will be able to receive needed vaccines. It is essential to protect children against serious illness by having them vaccinated before they are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases.

The newly rejoined program will allow providers to obtain vaccines for CHIP children via the VFC program without having to buy vaccines from private sources at market cost and be reimbursed later. As more physician practices, Federally Qualified Health Centers, health department and other providers across the state transition into the program, children covered by CHIP will also be able to get their CDC-recommended vaccines via their medical provider, IDPH said.

State health officials said the Pritzker administration has met with health care providers seeking their cooperation to use every opportunity to vaccinate all children by entering each VFC and CHIP dose given into I-CARE and billing for each dose given. With easier access to vaccines for children covered under CHIP and increased measures to track vaccines administered, the goal is to get 100 percent of children in Illinois vaccinated and eliminate any discrepancies in vaccination tracking and reimbursement.

IPDH urges all parents to schedule back-to-school examination and vaccination appointments as soon as possible.