Grand Canyon Times

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program has provided essential vaccines to children in Arizona for the past three decades. The VFC program aims to vaccinate children who might not otherwise receive vaccinations due to financial barriers. It relies on partnerships with private healthcare providers, tribal communities, community health centers, and local public health agencies. The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) administers the program statewide with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In recent years, there has been a decline in the number of healthcare providers participating in the program, reflecting a nationwide trend. Feedback from providers and a recent assessment indicated regulatory challenges as a significant factor. In response, ADHS committed to working with providers to address their concerns and improve the program.

In January, ADHS initiated a workgroup comprising providers and partners for special sessions aimed at reducing burdens on providers and making the program more accessible for families. Based on insights from this workgroup, the ADHS Bureau of Immunization Services has released an updated Arizona VFC Program Operations Guide.

Policy changes in the guide include:

- Elimination of penalties for unused vaccine doses.

- Reducing the requirement for a provider to be open at least four days a week to four consecutive hours on any given day (excluding Monday).

- Clearer guidance on operating mobile clinics.

- Reducing temperature recording requirements from twice per day to once per day.

- Clarifying that records can be stored electronically or off-site.

The updated operations guide and a summary of changes are available on the Arizona VFC Home Page.

Additional improvements include a new onboarding process for new vaccine providers and continuous dialogue with stakeholders through an annual survey and ongoing policy workgroups.

Next steps involve developing an outreach plan to encourage more healthcare providers to join the VFC program. Healthcare providers not currently participating are invited to join efforts to increase childhood vaccination rates and protect against vaccine-preventable diseases. ADHS expressed gratitude towards partners who participated in the workgroup and acknowledged 655 providers serving Arizona’s children.

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