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Health Access Network
Vaccine Update
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By Theresa Knowles, RN /Operations Director |
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As of July 1st, the State of Maine has updated the vaccine eligibility
chart for routine childhood vaccinations.
Prior to July 1st, children under the age of eighteen
were eligible to receive
all childhood vaccines
free of charge from the Maine State Immunization Program regardless of
insurance status. Since
July 1st, only American Indian or Alaskan Native children,
those who have Mainecare, or those without health insurance are eligible
to receive these vaccines.
For children whose commercial health insurance does not pay for the
vaccines, they are also entitled to these state supplied vaccines if
they receive them at a Rural Health Clinic or Federally Qualified Health
Center, such as Health Access Network.
Health Access Network is currently working very hard to obtain
necessary vaccines for the children that are ineligible for state
supplied vaccine. We will
be doing our best to have the vaccine in our office to administer, but
may need to give the patient a prescription to obtain the vaccine from
the pharmacy. The following
vaccines will not be supplied by the state for children with commercial
health insurance:
·
Second dose of
Varicella (chickenpox) given
at age 4-18,
·
Hepatitis A for children 1-18,
·
Rotavirus for children younger than 32 weeks,
·
TDAP (Tetanus, Diptheria, Acellular pertussis) for children 10-18,
·
HPV (Gardasil) for children 9-18, and
·
Menactra (Meningococcal) for children age 11-18.
If your child has an upcoming well child visit scheduled and you are
uncertain of whether his/her vaccines will be covered, please call
794-6700 so that our offices can help determine your child’s eligibility
and assure that these vaccines are in stock prior to their visit.
