Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – Children who have private-care insurance can no longer receive vaccinations at the Hays County Personal Health Department (PHD) or other state-funded immunization providers, according to a new rule from the Department of State Health Services.

Now, only children who are enrolled in the CHIP or Medicaid programs, have no health insurance, are underinsured (meaning their insurance does not cover vaccines, covers only selected vaccines or has a monetary cap that is reached) or are American Indian or Alaskan Native, can receive vaccinations at the Personal Health Department. If the child is insured for selected vaccines, only those vaccines not covered by the insurance can be administered by the PHD.

“We’re urging parents to check their children’s eligibility to use the PHD for back-to-school vaccinations,” said Cherri Schmidt, Hays County Public Health Educator. “We consider immunizations critical to ending childhood communicable diseases and in the past have made our facility available to any child, but we can no longer offer vaccinations except to those who fall under the new rule.”

Under the new rules eligible adults without insurance can receive vaccines through the Texas Vaccines for Children Adult Safety Net Program. The cost to those adults who qualify is $25 total for vaccine(s) administered during one visit.

The meningococcal vaccine for ages 19 and older is no longer available at PHD. Those wanting the vaccination should see their private-care physician or a local pharmacy, many of which offer the vaccine.

For more information about immunizations and other services provided by the PHD, please visit www.co.hays.tx.us and click on Personal Health Department under the Health & Community tab, or call 512.393.5520.