Did you know that immunizations and vaccines are the same thing? Vaccines help the body’s immune system fight certain diseases that cause people to be very ill, have a disability or can even cause death. They work in the body to protect us from the illness and disease.
A Case for Immunization
Many people worry that immunizations can cause autism. There have been many studies done that continue to show that immunizations do not cause autism.
Many diseases are no longer common in this country because of the great protection from children getting immunizations. The diseases may still be common in other parts of the world. Even if your family does not travel to other countries, you could encounter people who do and become very ill.
Why is it important for my child to receive immunizations? CCHP follows the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, and state and local health departments in strongly supporting the immunization of everyone in our communities – children and adults alike. Click the links here for more information about immunizations and the disease they protect against.
Disease Prevention
Many childhood diseases can be prevented by following recommended guidelines for vaccinations. The Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians have approved a series of vaccines for all children to protect them against diseases:
- MMR - to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles)
- Polio (IPV) - to protect against poliovirus
- DTaP - to protect against diphtheria, tetanus (lockjaw), and pertussis (whooping cough)
- Hib - to protect against Haemophilus influenzae type b (which causes spinal meningitis)
- HBV - to protect against hepatitis B
- Pneumococcal (PCV13) - to protect against pneumonia, infection in blood and meningitis
- Varicella - to protect against chicken pox
Adults need vaccines, too. Call your clinic or health department to find out what vaccines you might need or when your next ones are due. Vaccines are very safe. Millions of people are safely immunized each year. The immunizations produced in the United States are the safest and most effective that we have ever had.
Additional Resources
Commonly Asked Questions
Congratulations on making sure your child has received the care they need to stay healthy and safe as they grow!
CCHP identifies members to contact based on the claims documents submitted by your child’s doctor. In order for us to know that your child had a visit with their doctor, three things need to happen:
- Your child’s doctor submits the claims documents to CCHP.
- We receive the claims documents and process them.
- We update our databases with the new information.
Completing these steps can take up to 90 days from when your child saw their doctor for a visit. If you have any questions about your child’s health and medical care, please call your child’s doctor.
- Regular checkups are an important way to keep track of your child’s health and physical, emotional, and social development. These visits are important for ALL children. Think of these visits as your chance to learn as much as you can about the best ways to help your child grow. (American Academy of Pediatrics’ “Bright Futures” Initiative)
- The well-child visit has a special meaning for teenagers. It is a chance for teens to build responsibility for their own health and wellness. By ensuring teens follow the same steps and regularly attend these yearly visits, you set the stage for their independence. (American Academy of Pediatrics’ “Bright Futures” Initiative)
Additional Resources:
- The Well-Child Visit: Why Go and What to Expect (English) (Spanish)
- Resources for Families from “Bright Futures”
- Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. (American Academy of Pediatrics’ HealthyChildren.org)
- There is no safe level of lead in the human body. Children under the age of 6 years old are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Babies and young children can also be more highly exposed to lead because they often put their hands and other objects that have lead from dust or soil into their mouths. (City of Milwaukee Health Department’s “Lead-Safe Milwaukee” Initiative)
- Lead damages the brain and other body systems. Lead can hurt anyone, but kids under age 6 are most vulnerable, and the damage can last a lifetime. (State of Wisconsin Health Department’s “Lead-Safe Wisconsin” Initiative)
Additional Resources:
CCHP follows the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) “Bright Futures” schedule for when children should receive wellness exams and screenings, from infancy through adolescence.
Additional Resources:
- Check online to see what vaccines your child is due for: Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) webpage’s Public Immunization Record Access (English) (Spanish) (Hmong)
- Call your child’s doctor to discuss what vaccines your child is due for.
Additional Resources:
- CDC: Immunizations Resources for Parents
- Wisconsin Immunization Registry: Information for Parents (English) (Spanish) (Hmong)
CCHP follows the State of Wisconsin’s Blood Lead Screening Recommendations. These recommendations are based on the most common risk factors for lead exposure, which can be identified by answering the “4 Easy Questions” listed here:
- Does the child now live in or visit a house or building built before 1950 or have they ever in the past? (includes places such as day care, home of friends, grandparents or other relatives)
- Does the child now live in or visit a house or building built before 1978 with recent or ongoing renovations or have they ever in the past? ((includes places such as day care, home of friends, grandparents or other relatives)
- Does the child have a brother, sister or playmate who has/had lead poisoning?
- Is the child enrolled in Medicaid or WIC?
Call your child’s doctor to discuss when your child should have their next blood lead level checked.
CCHP uses the Wisconsin Blood Lead Registry to check your child’s blood lead testing history. This online tool allows us to get weekly updates on the blood lead tests performed for our members at all locations, including: WIC sites, Head Start program, doctor’s offices, and health department’s offices.
CCHP uses the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) to check your child’s immunization status. This online tool allows us to access the vaccine records uploaded by your doctor’s office, a local health department, or pharmacy.
CCHP also uses our claims database to check your child’s immunization status. When your child gets a vaccine at a doctor’s office, health department, or pharmacy that has your insurance information on file, they may submit claims documents to us for payment.
Not Sure if Your Child’s Vaccine Record is Correct?
- Check your child’s WIR vaccine record: (English) (Spanish) (Hmong)
- Call your child’s doctor to discuss if they enter your child’s vaccine record to WIR. If your child’s doctor doesn’t enter vaccine records to WIR, ask for a copy of your child’s vaccine record – you can take this vaccine record to your local health department office, and they can enter this information into WIR for you.
- Helpful Tip: Whenever your child gets a vaccine, always ask for an updated copy of your child’s vaccine record.
Yes! Call our Member Advocates at 1-877-900-2247
Does your child need a new Primary Care Provider? Call our Customer Service Line at 1-800-482-8010 or search our online Provider Directory.
Yes! Visit our Member Resources page
We are here to help
If you are a Chorus Community Health Plans member and you have questions about how to find a primary care provider, or learn when your child's last wellness exam was please fill out the form below and we will respond within 1 business day.
To protect your privacy, please do not ask personal medical questions on this form.
Contact by Phone
If you would rather contact us by phone, please do so at the following number.
Customer Service:
800-482-8010
Wisconsin Relay 7-1-1
Customer Service Hours:
Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST
Clinical Services: 877-227-1142
Questions about prior authorizations? Our Clinical Services team can help.
- We have a 24/7 answering service.
- Messages left by phone after hours will be returned on the next business day.
- Clinical Services representatives are available: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.