Vaccination Records

Keeping up-to-date vaccination records for your family, especially your children, is important. You will need your children’s records to register them for school, child care, athletic teams, and summer camps, and to travel.

Immunization Information Systems (IIS)

When you or someone in your family gets a vaccine, information about that vaccine may be added to your state’s immunization information system (IIS). IIS, also known as immunization registries, are databases that have information on the vaccines that have been given to individuals. Your doctor, health department, clinic, and/or possibly pharmacist may use their local IIS to help keep track of their patients’ immunizations. The information in the IIS is kept confidential, and only authorized users are able to access the data in the IIS.

Every state in the U.S., and some large cities, have their own IIS. All states collect data on child vaccinations to put into the IIS (though the cut-off age varies by state) and most states now also record adult immunizations in their IIS.

One of the main uses of the IIS is to make sure that children have all of their immunizations and that the information is available when their healthcare providers need it. Another purpose of the IIS to help maintain an accurate record of a patient’s immunization history throughout their lifetime, even if they received vaccines in different places. IIS also help public health to keep track of vaccinations provided in the city/state to help purchase needed vaccines, control vaccine-preventable diseases, and avoid disease outbreaks.

Click the questions below to find out more about Immunization Information Systems (IIS)

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