How Do I Get Vaccinated?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set the recommended immunization schedules in the U.S. based on recommendations from its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The ACIP is the only U.S.-based organization that publishes the immunization schedules based on scientific research and vaccine monitoring.

The recommended schedules include:

• Children from birth to six years
• Children from 7–18 years
• Adults 19 years and over (including pregnancy)

The ACIP is a group of experts who carefully review all available safety and efficacy data to make vaccine recommendations for the use of vaccines. The recommendations include when vaccines should be given, the number of doses needed, the timing between vaccine doses, and any precautions and contraindications (situations where the vaccine might be harmful to the patient). The ACIP has three regular meetings every year, in addition to emergency meetings. All meetings are available to the public. See CDC’s ACIP Meeting Information web page for more.

The ACIP recommended schedules are the only schedules rigorously tested for safety and effectiveness and are updated every year.

The children’s schedules are carefully timed to provide the best protection at the time they are most vulnerable to, and before they are exposed to vaccine-preventable disease. In addition, the schedules consider the age when the child’s immune system will provide the strongest response.

The schedules are backed and recommended by medical groups and organizations such as:

• • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
  • American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
  • American College of Physicians (ACP)
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
  • American College of Nurse-Midwives (NCNM)
  • American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
  • National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)

CDC’s Immunization Schedules web page has links to the immunization schedules for infants, children, adolescents, and adults. These schedules are updated yearly with new recommendations, so be sure you are looking at the most current schedule.

Printable versions of the recommended schedules:

• Children from birth to six years
• Children from 7–18 years
• Adults 19 years and over (including pregnancy)

COVID-19 recommendations are listed on the current vaccination schedules, however, for  up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, visit CDC’s Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines web page.

Vaccination requirements for school and childcare vary by state. Each state determines which vaccines will be required for children entering daycare, preschool, school, post-secondary school, and college/universities. Check your state’s requirements on Immunize.org’s State Laws web page or visit your state health department web page. Your child’s doctor is also a great resource for which vaccines your child will need to have to attend in daycare or school.

Just as vaccine requirements vary by state, so do vaccine exemptions. In most states, children with weakened immune systems or medical conditions that do not allow them to receive vaccines are given medical exemptions from getting immunizations required for daycare and school. Each state has its own laws on which exemptions are excepted. See this list of exemptions permitted for each state to see which states allow medical, religious, and personal belief exemptions.

It’s important to understand that by keeping your child from getting vaccinated, they will be left exposed to potentially life-threatening or deadly diseases. People who are unable to be vaccinated due to weakened immune systems, such as those with cancer, depend on most of the population to be vaccinated so that they do not get sick. Allowing your child to be exposed to disease puts other people at risk of getting sick with a potentially life-threating disease they might not be able to overcome. A population with a high vaccination rate keeps disease from circulating in the community. This is a phenomenon called “herd immunity” or “community immunity.”

Diseases that were once rare in the U.S. can come back if people don’t protect each other from vaccine-preventable diseases.

All health insurance marketplace plans and most private insurance plans are required to cover all recommended vaccines provided by an in-network provider for children and adults at no cost to the patient. Check with your insurance provider to find out which vaccines are covered. If you do not have coverage, your state health department can tell you where to go for free or low-cost vaccines. Find your state health department.

Use Vaccinate Your Family’s Paying For Vaccines Tool to identify the specific programs you may be eligible for and assist you in accessing vaccines. 

Use Vaccinate Your Family’s Paying For Vaccines Tool to identify the specific programs you may be eligible for and assist you in accessing vaccines. 

Programs to help pay for (or cover the cost of) vaccines for children include:

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program

 The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program provides free vaccines for children 18 years and younger whose caregivers cannot afford vaccines. Children who may be eligible for the VFC program include those who qualify for Medicaid, are uninsured, underinsured and can’t afford the out-of-pocket insurance costs for vaccines, or are Native American or Alaskan Native. For more, see CDC’s VFC Questions and Answers for Parents web page.

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Children age 18 years and younger may be eligible for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP is run by the states, according to federal requirements, and provides low-cost health care coverage, including recommended vaccines, to children and families whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid. In some states, CHIP covers individuals who are pregnant. Learn more about CHIP, including which services are covered on the healthcare.gov Medicaid and CHIP web page.

Benefits differ from state to state. Check with your state program for more information, including how to find a provider and costs of services. You can apply/enroll at any time and if you qualify for coverage, coverage can begin at any time.

Learn more about the CHIP program.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a healthcare reform law that aims to make affordable health insurance available to more people. Under ACA, most plans cover preventative services, including recommended vaccinations, for children at no cost (without copay or coinsurance). The healthcare provider must be in the health plan network for services to be covered.

If you need health insurance, visit healthcare.gov to explore your options.

Medicaid

Medicaid is a joint federal and state insurance program for low-income individuals and families. All children and young adults under 19 years who are eligible for Medicaid can receive all recommended vaccines through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program.

Even though the federal government pays a portion of the costs, Medicaid is run by the states. Each state’s program is different and has different income eligibility rules. For more information on Medicaid visit Medicaid.gov.

Use Vaccinate Your Family’s Paying For Vaccines Tool to identify the specific programs you may be eligible for and assist you in accessing vaccines. 

Programs to help pay for (or cover the cost of) vaccines for adults include:

Affordable Care Act (ACA) information for adults:

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a healthcare reform law that aims to make affordable health insurance available to more people. Under ACA, most plans cover preventative services, including recommended vaccinations, for adults and pregnant individuals at no cost (without copay or coinsurance). The doctor must be in the health plan network for services to be covered.

Medicaid (information for adults)

Medicaid is a joint federal and state insurance program for low-income individuals and families. Most adults with coverage from Medicaid and CHIP will be guaranteed coverage of all recommended vaccines at no cost. In many states Medicaid covers adults who are:

• Individuals up to 21 years old
• Pregnant
• Teens or Young adults who have “aged out” of foster care up to 26 years with no income limit
• Individuals 65 years and older
• Individuals who are blind or disabled
• Individuals who are terminally ill and in need of hospice services
• Seniors who live in nursing homes
• If eligible for Medicare but have limited income and resources

Even though the federal government pays a portion of the costs, Medicaid is run by the states. Each state’s program is different and has different income eligibility rules. For more information on Medicaid visit Medicaid.gov.

Medicare (for adults 65 and older)

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people who are 65 years and older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with end-stage renal disease. Different parts of Medicare cover different services, which include:

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers inpatient hospital stays, care skilled nursing facilities, hospice care, and some health care.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers doctor services, outpatient care, medical supplies, and preventative services. Certain vaccines are covered under Part B. Covered vaccines include:

• Influenza (flu) shots
• Pneumococcal (pneumonia) shots
• Hepatitis B shots (for individuals at high and intermediate risk)
• COVID-19 vaccine
• Vaccines after exposure to a dangerous virus or disease

Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage) helps cover the cost of prescription drugs, including many recommended adult vaccines that are not covered in Part B. Part D also covers patient cost-sharing of vaccine administration fees.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides relief on many provisions for millions of people on Medicare, including the elimination of cost sharing of vaccines. The patient may have to pay a fee at the time of service but will be imbursed in full as part of the Medicare Part D plan.

CDC’s Bridge Access Program for COVID Vaccines

CDC’s Bridge Access Program provides no-cost COVID-19 vaccines to adults 18 years and older who do not have health insurance or adults with health insurance that does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs. Find a provider that offers no-cost COVID-19 vaccines through the Bridge Access Program at vaccines.gov.

CHIPRA for individuals who are pregnant:

The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 allowed for states to provide CHIP-funded coverage to pregnant women. The unborn child option permits states to consider the fetus a low-income child, which allows for healthcare and vaccine coverage for individuals who are pregnant.  The program is state-specific. States offer between 2–12 months of coverage after the child is born.

Learn more about health care coverage during pregnancy.

Use Vaccinate Your Family’s Paying For Vaccines Tool to identify the specific programs you may be eligible for and assist you in accessing vaccines. 

Insurance for people serving in the military and their dependents is called TRICARE. There may be a copay for some vaccines, but generally TRICARE covers all recommended vaccines.

Use Vaccinate Your Family’s Paying For Vaccines Tool to identify the specific programs you may be eligible for and assist you in accessing vaccines. 

Immunization information systems (IIS)  combine patient immunization records in one reliable place so that they will never be lost. The IIS allows healthcare providers to easily access information on which vaccines have been given to a patient. The patient information stored in an IIS is different in every state, but most state IISs contain at least the following information:

• Patient’s name (first, middle, and last)
• Patient’s birth date
• Patient’s gender
• Patient’s birth state/country
• Mother’s name
• Types of vaccines given
• Dates the vaccine doses were given

State laws require health information in the IIS to be kept confidential. Only those who are authorized can have access to a person’s information in the state’s IIS. Who is authorized to access the IIS, such as the patient, caregiver, healthcare professional, etc., varies by state. To protect the patient, users of an IIS must sign an agreement and follow strict confidentiality and security policies before they are allowed to access a patient’s record through the IIS.

If you would like to opt your child out of the IIS, you can contact your state immunization program.

You can ask your healthcare provider if they use the state (or city) IIS. You can also contact the personnel who run the IIS in your state to find out if your healthcare professional participates.

No. There is no cost for anyone to participate in an IIS.

If you need official copies of immunization records for yourself or your child, or are trying to update your family’s personal records, there are several places you can look:

• Check with the healthcare professional/clinic for records
• Check with your state health department
  • Request a copy of immunization records
  • Ask if a patient’s immunization records are in the IIS
• Contact the state IIS in the state where the patient received their most recent vaccinations to get records and official copies. Some states allow individuals to directly access the IIS to print their own vaccination records.
• Check with the child’s school(s), as some schools keep immunization records of children who attended on file. Records are often only kept for 1–2 years.
• Check with the college or university’s medical or student health services. Many colleges provide vaccinations, especially if the vaccines are required for enrollment, and may keep vaccination records.
• If you are an adult, ask your parents or other caregivers if they have records of your childhood immunizations. You may also want to look through baby books or other documents from your childhood.
• If you are an adult, check with your previous employers (including the military) that may have required vaccinations and kept documents

Ask your healthcare provider, state health department, or state IIS directly to find out if your family’s immunization records are in your state’s IIS.

The IIS can help the healthcare provider determine which immunizations are due so that the patient doesn’t miss any recommended vaccines or  doesn’t need to get revaccinated if their records get lost. Some other benefits of the IIS include:

• Quick access to vaccination records for healthcare providers
• Ability to get copies of records for school, camp, travel, etc.
• Capability to get reminders when vaccinations are due through phone, text, email, or mail

Ask your adoption care coordinator or social worker for the child’s vaccination’s records. An internationally adopted child should be considered susceptible to disease and should be vaccinated (or revaccinated) against vaccine-preventable diseases if the immunization records are lost, incomplete, difficult to understand, or if the child’s healthcare provider is not sure that they are accurate. See CDC’s Adoption and Vaccines webpage for more.