In North Carolina, the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program is part of the North Carolina Immunization Program (NCIP).

Funds for the VFC program are transferred every year from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and awarded to the North Carolina Immunization Program. About 90% of these funds are used for the purchase of childhood vaccines. The remaining funds are used by the NCIP for program operational activities such as provider enrollment, program evaluation, and vaccine accountability activities. The VFC program began on October 1, 1994 with the goal of improving vaccination services in North Carolina by providing vaccine to VFC-eligible children through providers who have enrolled in the state's immunization program.

The VFC program:

• Provides federally purchased vaccine, for eligible children, at no charge to public and private providers;
• Automatically covers vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), established by resolution and approved by the CDC;
• Saves parents and enrolled providers out-of-pocket expenses for vaccine purchases; and
• Reduces or eliminates vaccine cost as a barrier to vaccination of eligible children.

Children through 18 years of age that meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible for VFC vaccine:

• Medicaid enrolled - a child who is eligible or enrolled in the Medicaid program.
• Uninsured - a child who has no medical insurance coverage.
• American Indian or Alaskan Native - as defined by the Indian Health Service Act.
• Underinsured - Children who have commercial (private) health insurance but the coverage does not include vaccines, children whose insurance covers only selected vaccines (VFC-eligible for non-covered vaccines only), or children whose insurance caps vaccine coverage at a certain amount - once that coverage amount is reached, these children are categorized as underinsured.

For more information on the Vaccines For Children program, log on to the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/ or download these educational flyers:

• For healthcare providers
• For parents