Don’t wait to get your child caught up on vaccines

Childhood vaccines now available at pharmacies

Childhood vaccines are essential to protecting children’s health and development. Unfortunately, many children in Michigan have fallen behind on their immunizations over the past year as parents sought to avoid doctor’s offices because of the pandemic.

Vaccinations among children from birth to age 8 were down17% from previous years, while children 9 to 18 saw a 35% drop in vaccinations, according to state data comparing August 2020 to the same months in 2019 and 2018.

The bottom line is vaccines save lives. If your child is overdue for immunizations, now is the time to get them back on schedule.

All MESSA health plans cover recommended childhood vaccinations at no cost to MESSA members.

Previously, these immunizations could only be administered by an in-network health care provider or at a local health department, but starting this year, children can also be vaccinated at participating pharmacies.

The difference is that vaccinations obtained at a pharmacy will be billed under your prescription benefit, rather than your medical benefit — either way you will pay nothing out of pocket and your child will be protected from preventable diseases.

Pharmacies that administer immunizations will be required to report to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry, ensuring providers will know which vaccines their patients have received and keeping a child’s vaccination record up to date.

If you have any questions about your MESSA vaccine coverage, call our Member Service Center at 800-336-0013.