Find your immunization records easily

In today's fast-paced world, staying on top of your health or your family’s health is important. A part of staying healthy is ensuring that your immunizations are up to date. Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep track of your immunization records, as you may need them for things like school enrollment, travel or certain jobs. In this post, we'll outline how to easily access and manage your immunization history.

Keeping track of immunization records

Since there’s no single source of immunization records online, keeping track of immunization records can be difficult. And if you’re a parent, keeping track of childhood immunization schedules can be even more challenging.

If you’re a parent, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you keep an updated immunization record in your home, and bring a vaccination tracking card to each office visit so your child’s doctor can fill it in. You may need your child’s immunization record to sign them up for school and other activities, so it’s a good idea to keep a copy of it on hand.

Here are a few times when you may need to have a current immunization record for yourself and your child:

• School
• Daycare
• Sports and summer camps
• Traveling abroad
• Religious mission trips
• College
• Military service
• Certain job fields, such as healthcare and law enforcement

Where to find your immunization records

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare manages a secure database to keep track of vaccination records for Idaho residents. This database is called the Immunization Reminder Information System, or IRIS.

If you don’t have a record of your own or your child’s vaccines, you can get a copy in a few ways.

Talk to your doctor or your child’s doctor

Call the doctor’s office to see if they can give you a copy of you and your child’s record. Doctors’ offices and health clinics keep records of the vaccines they administer. If you or your child have been vaccinated at different locations, you may have to contact each location to get the records.

Your doctor may also be able to look up your vaccination record in IRIS and provide you with details or a copy.

Contact IRIS

You can contact IRIS to find out where you or your child received their last vaccine and to learn how to request a copy of their vaccination record.

Finding vaccination records in a different state

If you live outside of Idaho, the CDC has a resource to help you find your state’s digital immunization records system. These records are not stored by the federal government, so you’ll need to use your state’s own system to find the records you are looking for.

Additionally, if you’ve moved to Idaho from a different state, then IRIS may not have a complete record of your immunization history. To get immunization records from the state you lived in previously, the CDC recommends contacting your state’s immunization information system to see if they can provide you with the records.

Talk to your doctor

Setting up care with a primary doctor can make it easier for you and your child to stay up to date with vaccinations. Blue Cross of Idaho members can search for a primary care provider by logging in to their member account on our member website or in the Blue Cross of Idaho member app and selecting Find Care.

Download the Blue Cross of Idaho member app in the App Store or Google Play.

 

Written by: Blue Cross of Idaho

Posted: August 2, 2023

Updated: November 17, 2023