Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Tuesday, July 5, 2011
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) - The Indiana State Department of Health is delaying a controversial change in its childhood vaccination policy.
The agency had been set to offer only uninsured children vaccinations free of charge starting Friday, but it now says they will remain free for all until January 2012.
The delay comes after health and education officials expressed concern that the policy change would keep many kids from getting vaccinated for the upcoming school year.
The State Health Department issued a news release Friday, saying that it will be providing guidance on implementation in the fall, prior to the new cutoff date of January 1st.
The Centers for Disease Control provides Indiana with $90 million annually to provide for uninsured, underinsured and Medicaid-eligible children.
Indiana has a supplemental fund of $11 million used to help cover underinsured children, and that fund dwindled to $120 by the end of the last fiscal year.
State Health Commissioner Greg Larkin says the agency plans to work with local health departments to determine appropriate use of publicly funded and privately purchased vaccine supplies.
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