Review Immunization History

Review every patient’s immunization history at every health care visit to assess for needed vaccines. This includes both routine checkups and acute-care visits.

Immunization histories can be found in medical records, personal vaccination cards, and immunization information systems (IISs) or registries.

Vaccination Records: Finding, Interpreting, and Recording

Immunization providers may encounter persons who do not have documentation of the vaccines they have received. Providers should only accept written, dated records as evidence of vaccination, with the exception of influenza vaccine and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23). Self-reported doses of these vaccines are acceptable.

Vaccinations should not be postponed if records are not available, but providers should attempt to locate missing records by contacting the patient’s previous health care providers and/or the immunization program at the state or local health department, reviewing state or local IIS data, and asking patients to search for a personal vaccination record.