STATEWIDE -- Due to a mandate issued by the Federal Vaccines for Children program, kids who are covered by private insurance will no longer be able to get free vaccines from county health departments.

Officials said this will ensure enough publicly-funded vaccines are available for eligible children.

County health departments only vaccinate a small number of insured children, and this new policy will only affect 40 of the 100 children vaccinated at the Rensselaer County Public Health Department and 60 of the 400 in Albany County.

Exceptions will be made for infants of women infected with Hepatitis B, students who require measles, mumps, and rubella vaccinations, in order to comply with public health law, and inmates in correctional facilities.