Immunization Program Services

Immunization program services are provided through six (6) major program components, which are outlined below:

•     Vaccines for Children
•     District of Columbia Immunization Registry
•     Service Delivery/Clinical Operations
•     Consumer Information
•     Assessment
•     Surveillance
•     Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program

Vaccines for Children

Vaccines for Children (VFC) provides free vaccines to providers that vaccinate children who:

• Are eligible for Medicaid
• Have no health insurance
• Have health insurance that doesn't cover immunizations
• Are Native American or Alaskan Native

VFC also:

• Provides free immunizations to uninsured and underinsured children and a limited number of adults through a walk-in clinic.
• Conducts assessments for children in licensed child-care, Head Start Centers and in all schools and grades.
• Conducts an annual retrospective survey from kindergarten school entry data to assess completion of initial vaccine series by 2 years of age.
• Identifies and investigates cases and controls outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases (VPD), measures VPD morbidity and mortality, and evaluates the impact of new vaccines and immunization policies.
• Identifies hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg) pregnant women and prevents perinatal hepatitis B transmission.
• Monitors the safety of immunizations and ensures that all providers of immunizations report adverse events according to state and/or local public health policies.
• Maintains an immunization registry that serves as a storehouse for immunization records for children and adults in the District of Columbia, enabling the Department of Health to keep children updated for immunization, provide follow-up when needed, conduct outbreak control, provide records for daycare and school entry and prevent unnecessary immunizations because of lost records.

District of Columbia Immunization Registry

• Stores immunization records for children and adults in the District of Columbia
• Tracks immunization compliance and provides immunization data and reports
• Provides trainings to provides who wish to link to the Registry.

Service Delivery/Clinical Operations

• Operates one walk-in express clinic that provides assessments and vaccinations for uninsured and underinsured children and a limited number of adults.
• Conducts case tracking, management, follow-up and reporting for cases reported through Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS)

Consumer Information

• Collects and disseminates vaccine information statements and other educational materials to providers, consumers and lay audiences
• Conducts educational seminars for providers, consumers and lay audiences throughout the city
• Provides vaccine benefits and risk communications 

Assessment

• Reviews the immunization records of all children in licensed child care, head start centers and all grades in public, private, chartered and parochial schools
• Determines compliance with DC Immunization Law 3-12 

Surveillance

• Conducts investigation, tracking and reporting of vaccine preventable diseases and adverse events

Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program

• Identifies and tracks pregnant women infected with Hepatitis B virus
• Ensures appropriate preventive treatment for newborns of infected mothers from birth through the 1st year of life
• Refers household and sexual contacts of identified women for Hep B Screening
• Provides Hep B vaccinations to susceptible contacts (if no insurance coverage)
• Free Immunization Clinic