Vaccine Funding and Selection

Rhode Island law requires the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) to provide vaccines for routine immunizations for children and adults. Eliminating cost as a barrier to immunization helps ensure all Rhode Islanders children and adults are vaccinated based on the following guidance:

• Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
• Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

RIDOH receives feedback and guidance on state vaccine policy from the Rhode Island Vaccine Advisory Committee (VAC). 

Funding Sources

Rhode Island's vaccine policy is supported by 3 major funding sources:

1. Federal funding through the Vaccines for Children Program provides all recommended vaccines for eligible children. Eligible children include those who are uninsured, under-insured (insurance does not cover vaccination), Medicaid eligible, and American Indian or Alaska Native.
2. Rhode Island law requires insurers to provide vaccine funding for insured children and adults.
3. The Section 317 Program is a discretionary federal grant program that provides vaccines to underinsured children and adolescents not served by the Vaccines for Children program, and as funding permits to uninsured and underinsured adults.

Guiding Principles in Vaccine Selection

• Provide vaccines as recommended by RIDOH:
  • Rhode Island Recommended Childhood Immunization Schedule
  • Rhode Island Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule
• Base changes in current vaccine policy on supporting rationale. Changes should not cause undue confusion or chaos among vaccine providers.
• Give preference to the least expensive vaccine when there is a meaningful choice between 2 or more competing vaccines of the same type.
• Minimize the cost of purchase and delivery of vaccines to maintain Rhode Island's universal vaccine financing policy.
• To minimize the number of injections received and to increase immunization rates, prioritize combination vaccines over their equivalent component vaccines.
• Minimize over-vaccination.
• Avoid changes in type and schedule of vaccine administration whenever possible.
• Avoid polypharmacy (the use of different formulations of the same vaccine) throughout the state and limit growth of storage demands for vaccines in provider sites.
• After the listed criteria are met, the VAC will take into consideration a balance in the market share of the companies manufacturing the vaccine or a combination vaccine in question.