To get a copy of your vaccination record, start with your state's immunization registry, and with the doctor's office or pharmacy that gave the shots. There's no national record: the CDC says "there is no national organization that maintains vaccination records" (CDC).
This page is about getting a copy of a record. It doesn't cover which vaccines anyone needs: ask your doctor or pharmacist about that.
Find where your vaccine record is
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States
- California: online lookup with the Digital Vaccine Record
- New York State: ask your provider or county health department
- New York City: online lookup with My Vaccine Record, or a paper request
- New Jersey: online through myHealthNJ.com and the Docket app (NJDOH), or a paper request
For any other state, the CDC keeps a list of every state's registry contact. More states are coming to this page.
Keep it in Kasane once you have it
Kasane keeps vaccine records with the rest of each person's record:
- Add the record as a photo or PDF. Kasane reads each dose and its date for you to confirm.
- One record per person. Your kids' shots and your parents' stay with each of them.
- Ask what's on the record. "Which shots are on Dad's vaccine record?" gets each dose and its date, linked to the record.
Kasane is on the App Store for iPhone, starting with a free week: download Kasane. Here's a fictional example: Ana, who keeps her father Robert's record.
Where vaccination records are kept
- The provider who gave the shot. "Doctors and health clinics keep records of the vaccines they give to your child", but "they may save records for only a few years" (CDC). If the shots came from several places, "you may have to contact each of them to get your child's records" (CDC).
- Your state's immunization registry. "States and some large cities have secure immunization information systems (IIS)" (CDC), which "combine immunization information from different sources into a single record" (CDC). Ask the registry in your state, or in "the state where you or your child received their last shots" (CDC).
- Schools and colleges, for a while. "Schools may keep records for a year or two after a student leaves or graduates." (CDC)
- Past employers. "Check with previous employers (including the military) that may have required immunizations." (CDC)
The CDC itself can't help with a lookup: "CDC does NOT have vaccination record information!" (CDC)
Why a record can be incomplete
Registries only hold what providers report. The CDC says "some people's records may not be complete" (CDC), and adult records vary most: "Some states have registries (Immunization Information Systems) that include adult vaccines." (CDC). Some states only include adults who opt in, New Jersey among them for adults born before 1998 (CDC), so check your state's page above.
If you find an old paper record, ask your provider to add it to the registry. New York's health department says to "ask your health care provider to enter it into the appropriate registry" (NYSDOH).
Questions people ask
Can I get my child's vaccination record online?
It depends on the state. California, New York City, and New Jersey offer one; New York State outside the city sends you to your provider or county health department. See your state above.
What if I can't find my vaccination records anywhere?
Talk to your doctor. For adults, the CDC says "you may need to get some of the vaccines again", and that "The doctor can also sometimes do blood tests" (CDC). For children, it says "Talk to your child's doctor about how to protect your child." (CDC). Which option fits is your doctor's call.
Do pharmacies report to the state registry?
It depends on the state. The CDC invites "Pharmacists that administer vaccines and are interested in participating in the IIS" to join (CDC). California "Mandates universal reporting by law." (CDC), while New York State's rule "Applies only to certain providers." (CDC). If a pharmacy shot is missing, ask the pharmacy for its record.
How do I avoid this next time?
"Ask your doctor, pharmacist or other vaccine provider for an immunization record form", and if they use a registry, "ask that your vaccines be documented there as well" (CDC). Then keep a copy in your medical binder, or in Kasane.
Who do I call with general questions?
The CDC's line is 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) (CDC), but it can't look up a record for you.