Tips for Locating Old Immunization Records
Immunization records often are needed for entry into child- when you find your records care, kindergarten, school, summer camp, and college or Congratulations! Now you should take Lifetime Immunization Record other post-high school training, as well as for future employ Always carry this record with you and have your the records you have found to your healthcare professionalChild or clinic and keep Teenit up to Immunizationdate. Record Always carry this record with you and have your healthcare professional or clinic keep it up to date. ment and international travel. If you are seeing a new Last name First name M.I. Birthdate: Last– name – First name M.I. provider or local public health (month)Birthdate: (day) (year) Patient Number: Patient healthcare provider, you will need this information to ensure • (month) (day)• (year) Immunization ActionNumber: Coalition Saint Paul, Minn.– www.immunize.org To order additional record cards, visit www.immunize.org/shop Item #R2004 (9/20) Immunization Action Coalition – clinic and ask them to Adult Immunization Record To order additional record cards, visit www.immunize.org/shop Always carry this record with you and have your Medical notes (e.g., allergies, vaccine reactions): you receive proper medical care. Providers usually count healthcare professional or clinic keep it up to date. • – Medical notes (e.g., allergies, vaccine Saint reactions):Paul, Minn.
document this informa- • – www.immunize.org
Last name First name M.I. Item #R2003 (1/21) www.immunize.org only those vaccine doses that are documented on a written • Item #R2005 (12/20) Birthdate: (month) (day) (year) tion on an official record, • Saint Paul, Minn. Patient Number: Healthcare provider: List the mo/day/yr for each vaccination given. Record the generic Healthcare provider: List the mo/day/yr for each vaccination given. Record the generic record or are available on a local computerized immuni Immunization Action Coalition abbreviation (e.g., PCV13, DTaP-HepB-IPV) or the trade name. For combination vaccines, abbreviationfill in a row (e.g., for PCV13, each DTaP-HepB-IPV)separate antigen or in the the trade combination. name. For combination vaccines,
and, if possible, in the To order additional record cards, visit www.immunize.org/shop fill in a row for each separate antigen in the combination.
zation information system (registry). Unfortunately, no
dose due dose Date next Date dose due Date next Date next
state or local immunization dose due
national organization maintains this information. So, if
registry. Many schools, or clinic name clinic or
or clinic name
immunization records are lost or not available, you or your or clinic name Healthcare professional professional Healthcare Healthcare professional camps, etc., will accept only professional Healthcare
Date given
mo/day/yr mo/day/yr Date given Date
child may have to repeat vaccine doses. Piecing together mo/day/yr Date given Date
this type of “provider-verified” Other
Tdap, Td Tdap,
cough) (whooping
vaccine
Pertussis
Type of of Type
Diphtheria,
Tetanus,
VAR
(chickenpox) (chickenpox) old immunization information can be difficult and time Varicella
Type of vaccine
MMR
Measles, Measles, If combo If
Type of vaccine of Type HepA, HepA-HepB HepA,
record because this ensures the A Hepatitis
HepA-HepB
bivax HB, Heplisav-B; Heplisav-B; HB, bivax
Vaccine
Recom- Engerix-B, Hepatitis B Hepatitis
rules on first panel grouped at 0p0 for both x and y consuming. Here are some ideas that might help you. Vaccine ; Heplisav-B;
learn more about vaccines, visit www.vaccineinformation.org and www.immunize.org To
Hepatitis B Vaccine HepB DTaP-HepB-IPV; information has been evaluated HepA-HepB; DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB Hepatitis B HepB; Heplisav-B; DTaP- HepA-HepB; HepB-IPV; DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (whooping cough) Tdap; DT; DTP; DTaP; DTaP-HepB-IPV; Td; DTaP-IPV/Hib; DTaP-IPV- DTaP-IPV; Hib-HepB Influenza IIV; RIV; LAIV COVID-19 Other
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (whooping cough) DTaP; DTP; DT; Tdap; Td; DTaP-HepB-IPV; DTaP-IPV/Hib; DTaP-IPV; DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB
Influenza and corroborated by a medical IIV; RIV; LAIV To learn more about vaccines, visit www.vaccineinformation.org and www.immunize.org places you may want to check: COVID-19 professional. Be sure to keep a copy with • All previous healthcare providers – Don’t forget vaccination your home records and place all your supporting documen- visits you made to local public health departments or tation in a safe place where you can find it. neighborhood clinics. Sometimes when physicians retire or a medical practice changes hands, old patient records what if you don’t find your records? are sent to a medical record storage company. You may In general, both children and adults may need to repeat be able to obtain records directly from the company, but some vaccines. Although this is time-consuming and you may have to pay a fee. inconvenient, it is not harmful to receive additional vac- • Your home – Look through your old papers, including cine doses. For a few vaccines, blood tests can help deter- baby books and school or camp forms. If you’re an adult, mine if you’re already immune to certain diseases. Your don’t forget to ask your mother or father if they still have healthcare provider can help you determine exactly what’s your childhood records. best for you. • Schools and colleges or other post-secondary institutions you or your child attended. for the future... • Previous employers, including the military. To avoid hunting for old records and possibly repeating undocumented vaccinations, remember to bring your or • Local immunization registry – All states and some cities your child’s immunization record card to EVERY medical have centralized registries of vaccines given by local appointment. Keep your personal record in your wallet, providers. A registry may not include all ages and may not a vinyl sleeve, or a sealable plastic bag. It is also a good have all records, but this still can be a great place to check. idea to keep a back-up copy where you store your impor- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tant papers. Make sure all vaccines you are given are docu- has a listing of registry contacts and websites at mented on this card or a supplemental record. Ask that your www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/contacts-locate- vaccines also be documented in your state or local immu- records.html. Or to find the phone number of your local nization registry. Remember, you need to rely on YOU health department, call the CDC Information Contact to keep these records. This will help you save time, reduce Center at 800-CDC-INFO (232-4636). hassles, and be ready to provide your immunization history whenever it’s needed in the future!
Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651-647-9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p3065.pdf • Item #P3065 (2/21)