Flu vaccines less accessible for children covered by Medicaid

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The tough flu season may be even tougher for family's covered by Medicaid.

Leann Hardy, a registered medical assistant at Sunrise Pediatrics, says their office has two separate sources where they get their vaccinations - one for children covered by private insurance, and the other for children covered by Medicaid

Hardy says the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC) provides their office's vaccines for children covered by Medicaid - and this flu season, they were slow to fill orders.

"There was about a one-month delay for us to be able to start vaccinating them, and we had called them [VFC] about it and they said it was a backlog, and we did pre-order our vaccinations”, says Hardy.

Hardy says the delay frustrated parents.

“We had a few angry parents. It's cleared up now, but at the time we were having to send them to the health department or just make them wait until we got them in, which did make it a little harder for us here at the clinic cause then we were having to catch up,” she said.

Hardy says many pharmacies do administer the flu vaccine, but most will only do them for older children and adults.

Sunrise Pediatrics says they are now caught up on vaccinating children covered by Medicaid.