Disease Prevention & Control
Immunizations
The Health Department directly provides immunizations to eligible clients through its county health centers, and also works throughout the community to promote the importance of vaccines.
Get immunized
View of the latest immunization schedule for children, preteen/teens and adults from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Immunizations are available by appointment at the Health Department’s county health centers, with many available at low or no cost, depending on the patient’s age and insurance coverage.
Immunization Requirements
Health care providers, school staff and others can get specific details about Kentucky’s immunization requirements by using the information below.
Parents may want these more basic, but latest immunization schedules for children, preteen/teens and adults from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Kentucky immunization requirements
Immunization requirements for child care, preschool and Head Start
Immunization requirements for school-age children
Resources
Infectious disease manual: The Prevention, Control and Management of Infectious Diseases and Other Resources for Child Care and Early Care Settings manual provides resources for child care providers on communicable disease issues.
Let’s Immunize Northern Kentucky (LINK)
The Health Department is an active member of the Let’s Immunize Northern Kentucky Coalition, which was established in June of 2007. The coalition is comprised of more than 20 organizations dedicated to the prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Members are committed to providing complete, up-to-date and reliable information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent for our community and health care professionals.
Mission: Promoting awareness, education and opportunities to protect Northern Kentucky from vaccine-preventable diseases
Immunization requirements
Health care providers, school staff and others can get specific details about Kentucky’s immunization requirements above.
Parents may want these more basic, but latest immunization schedules for children, preteen/teens and adults from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Vaccines for Children
The Vaccines for Children program provides free vaccines to local health departments, clinics and private providers. These vaccines are for children birth through 18 years who meet certain criteria. Learn more below.
More information
For more information on the LINK coalition or vaccinations, please email Shelley Davis at Shelley.Davis@nkyhealth.org.
Vaccines for Children
The Vaccines for Children program provides free vaccines to local health departments, clinics and private providers. These vaccines are for children birth through 18 years who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- On Medicaid or Kentucky Child Health Insurance Program (KCHIP)
- Have no health insurance (uninsured)
- Are American Indian or Alaskan Native
- Have health insurance that does not cover immunizations (these children must get vaccines at a Federally Qualified Health Center, Rural Health Center or the local health department)
Vaccines for Children frequently asked questions below.
Become a provider
Interested in becoming a VFC provider? Contact Shelley Davis at Shelley.Davis@nkyhealth.org or call 859-363-2077.
Vaccines for Children FAQ
The Vaccines for Children program provides free vaccines to local health departments, clinics and private providers. These vaccines are for children birth through 18 years.
Some common questions about the program in Northern Kentucky.
Who is eligible to receive VFC vaccine?
All children birth through 18 years of age who are
- On Medicaid or Kentucky Child Health Insurance Program (KCHIP)
- Have no health insurance (uninsured)
- Are American Indian or Alaskan Native
- Have health insurance that does not cover immunizations (these children must get vaccines at a Federally Qualified Health Center, Rural Health Center or the local health department)
Who is considered under-insured?
Children whose health insurance plan does not provide, as a covered medical service, any immunizations or does not cover a specific antigen, such as hepatitis A or meningococcal, or the vaccine benefits are capped at a yearly limit after which there is no vaccine coverage for that year.
If a patient has health insurance but has a large deductible, is the patient eligible for VFC vaccine?
Patients whose insurance policy provides for immunizations as a covered medical service, regardless of deductibles, are considered insured. They are not eligible for publicly funded vaccine.
If a patient has health insurance but has reached their yearly well-care cap, is the patient eligible for VFC vaccine?
Patients whose insurance policy provides for immunizations as a covered medical service are considered insured and are not eligible for publicly funded vaccine. However, if the vaccine cost is capped at a yearly or annual limit after which there is no vaccine coverage for that year, they are considered under-insured. The vaccine cap must be completely depleted to be considered as under-insured.
Which vaccines are provided?
The Kentucky VFC Program provides all current immunizations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. These include: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, haemophilus influenzae type b, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, varicella, pneumococcal conjugate, influenza, rotavirus, meningococcal and Human Papillomavirus vaccines.
Can I charge my patients an administration fee?
Yes. You may charge an administration fee up to $19.93 per injection. This cap is established for Kentucky by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. If a patient, parent, or guardian is unable to pay the administration fee, you may not deny them the vaccine. If the patient is on Medicaid or KCHIP you may submit claims for the administration fee to the Kentucky Medicaid Program or the KCHIP program.
How will VFC benefit me as a provider?
- Free vaccines for eligible patients
- Keep your patients in their medical home for continuity of care
- Reduce patient out-of-pocket expense
- Ensure timely vaccinations
- No cost to participate
- Medicaid reimbursement for administration costs
- Free immunization assessments
- Free training for staff members
- Regional immunization representative
How do I enroll in the Kentucky VFC program?
Contact Shelley Davis at Shelley.Davis@nkyhealth.org or 859-363-2077.
Vaccines for Adults
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis A/B Combo
- Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
- Influenza
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- Meningococcal (MCV4)
- Pneumococcal (PCV13 and PPSV23)
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
- Varicella
- Zoster
Kentucky Immunization Registry (KYIR) Records
Kentucky Immunization Registry (KYIR) Public Portal
Access your or your minor’s official immunization record through the secure Kentucky Immunization Registry (KYIR) Public Portal, a free service of the Kentucky Department for Public Health that allows individuals, parents and legal guardians to access official immunization records from KYIR.
The portal enables residents to access, save and share their vaccination records from KYIR, a web-based system health care providers use to report vaccines they administer.
Portal users may choose to receive a .pdf copy of their complete records, school certificates for students younger than 18, just their COVID-19 vaccine record as a .pdf file or SMART Health Card, a digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccine record that can be stored on your phone as a QR code.
How to Access Records from KYIR
Visit KYIR Public Portal and follow the steps below to access your immunization record. You will be asked to enter information about yourself or your child to view and download/print records.
To access your COVID-19 QR code online, download your COVID-19 Record from the KYIR Public Portal.
Step-by-Step Videos
Click the links below to view a video with step-by-step instructions.
Public Portal Overview
Click the links below to view a step-by-step guidance document.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Go to KYIR Public Portal (you must be using Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox).
- Enter your or your child’s name, date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY) and gender.
- Select your relationship to the patient whose record you are accessing. Note: Parents cannot search and access their adult (18+) child’s record.
- Indicate how you would like to receive a code to access the immunization record (either mobile phone or email), then enter the phone number or email you or the patient used when registering for the vaccination.
- Click Search to locate the record. Note: A search result will only appear if there is an exact match in KYIR of the name, date of birth and cell phone or email used at registration for the vaccine.
- To view, save or print your full immunization record, click Download Full Record on the top right corner of the screen.
To view, save or print your COVID-19 Record and QR code, click Download COVID-19 Record.
To view your COVID-19 QR code, click View COVID-19 QR Code. If you are viewing this on an iPhone with iOS 15.1 or later, you will see a button to add the record to your Apple Health app and Apple Wallet app.
Note: If you are downloading your COVID-19 Record on a mobile phone, the record with your QR code will appear in a new browser tab. If you are downloading your COVID-19 Record on a desktop, the record with your QR code will appear as a PDF.
- Some Internet browser configurations may cause PDFs generated in KYIR Public Portal to download and not display immediately. If your immunization record does not display, check the download folder on your device for the downloaded file. Chrome and Firefox are recommended when using KYIR Public Portal.
- It is important that the immunization record you download from KYIR Public Portal is saved securely on your personal/private device and if you print your immunization record, please store it in a safe place.
Download PDF here.
For more information please visit https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dehp/idb/Pages/kyirportal.aspx