Kentucky Immunization Program
275 E. Main St., HS2E-B
Frankfort, KY 40621
Phone: (502) 564-4478
Fax: (502) 564-4760
Vision: Prevent and reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases for all Kentuckians.
Mission: The mission of the Immunization Program is to provide services which reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases in Kentucky.
To achieve this mission, we strive to:
- Provide vaccines to Vaccines for Children (VFC) enrolled health care providers at no cost
- Enforce school and child care immunization regulations
- Provide immunization education and training for health care providers and the general public
- Coordinate surveillance and control efforts for vaccine-preventable diseases
- Promote vaccine safety
- Develop effective partnerships
- Support efforts to increase vaccinations for all Kentuckians
Contact Information
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Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program |
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The Vaccines For Children program helps families by providing free vaccines to doctors who serve eligible children and is administered at the national level by the CDC through the National Immunization Program. CDC contracts with vaccine manufacturers to buy vaccines at reduced rates.
State and eligible U.S. projects enroll physicians who serve eligible patients up to and including age 18 years, providing routine immunizations with little to no out-of-pocket costs.
For additional information click here: Vaccines for Children (VFC)
CDC Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vfc/default.htm
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Adult Immunizations |
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All adults are not protected equally and that needs to change.
If you're younger than, say, age 4, the numbers say you've probably been well-protected against disease that once killed millions. Your immunization rates are at record levels. About 90 percent of American children receive all their recommended shots.
If you're an adult, however, the numbers are far less impressive. Less than 70 percent of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated. "Adult vaccination coverage rates for certain racial and ethnic groups remain substantially below the general population," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.
As flu season approaches, the issue of adult immunization moves to health care's front burner. "The burden of vaccine-preventable diseases in adults in the United States is staggering," the CDC notes. "Approximately 46,000 to 48,000 adults die each year from vaccine-preventable disease." Many thousands more need hospitalization.
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School and DayCare Immunization Requirements |
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Kentucky Regulatory Statute 214.034(1) requires the establishment of immunization schedules by the Cabinet for Health Services. 902 KAR 2:060 is an administrative regulation that establishes the mandatory immunization schedule for attendance at day care centers, certified family child care homes, other licensed facilities which care for children, preschool programs, and public and private primary and secondary schools.
Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule
School and Daycare Immunization Requirements Cheat Sheet
Kentucky Department for Education
Required vs Recommended Vaccines
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Education and Training |
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The Department for Public Health is a proponent of continuing education and training. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services offers many forms of educational materials and encourages public health professionals to utilize the following resources.
For additional information click here: Education and Training
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Perinatal Hepatitis B |
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Kentucky’s Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program
Hepatitis B is an inflammatory liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. This results in liver cell damage that can lead to cirrhosis and an increased risk of liver cancer. The goal of the Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program (PHBPP) is to reduce the spread of the infection from the mother to her infant. Preventing hepatitis B infection in early childhood is important. Infants who become infected at birth have a 90 percent risk of chronic infection and up to 25 percent will die of chronic liver disease as adults. More than 90 percent of these chronic infections can be prevented if the infant is treated soon after birth with a dose of hepatitis B immune globulin and hepatitis B vaccine.
The perinatal hepatitis B program in Kentucky provides a case management system that serves HBsAg-positive women seen by private and public health care providers. Kentucky Department for Public Health work closely with private physicians and their staff and local county health departments to insure that patients are informed about HBV. Information is provided to household and sexual contacts to encourage testing and immunization of those identified. The Kentucky Department for Public Health by working with local health departments help assures that infants of HBsAg-positive women receive the appropriate biological medicines at birth and at the recommended times in infancy, as well as ensuring that titers are drawn following completion of the three-dose series of hepatitis B vaccine.
Diane S. Chism, R.N.
Perinatal Hepatitis B Coordinator
Department for Public Health
Immunization Program
(502) 564-4478 ext. 3513
Diane.Chism@ky.gov
Public Information
Provider Information
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Meningococcal Disease |
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What is Meningococcal Disease?
Meningococcal disease is a serious illness caused by bacteria. It is a leading cause of meningitis in children 2 through 18 years old in the United States. Meningitis is an infection of fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningococcal disease also causes blood infections.
About 2,600 people get meningococcal disease each year in the United States. 5 to 10 percent of these people die, in spite of treatment with antibiotics. Of those who live, another 11 to 19 percent lose their arms or legs, become deaf, have problems with their nervous systems, become mentally retarded or suffer seizures or strokes.
Anyone can get meningococcal disease. However, it is most common in infants less than one year of age and people with certain medical conditions, such as lack of a spleen. College freshman who live in dormitories have an increased risk of getting meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal infections can be treated with drugs such as penicillin. Still, about 1 of every 10 people who get the disease dies from it, and many others are affected for life. This is why preventing the disease through the use of meningococcal vaccine is important for people at high risk.
Just the Facts
Parents/Student Information
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