vaccination records

[Tap]

Sometimes schools have vaccination records if someone needs them. Since parents/office staff often fill out the forms they aren't considered super reliable. I assume most parents can look at a form and tell if something seems wrong or not though.

After working in a school and watching parents sit down and fill out forms with out any kind of reference, I know some school docs are phoney. I am certain there are a few people who know the date of each one one of thier children's vaccinations, but it would be unlikely at the rate I saw people filling out the forms. I assume it is because we live in an area with a high rate of antivaxxers. It is easier to falsify a form than to get a doctor to sign a release. 

[Tap]

On 4/6/2021 at 1:22 PM, Cnew02 said:

I’ve seen people on Twitter showing pictures of vaccine cards used to travel to certain other countries, I think yellow fever.  

Yep, people can get yellow fever vaccination for travel, but also others like meningitis (often due being in close cramped quarters like a hostel), Hep A/B, malaria, flu shot, Japanese Encephalitis, etc. 

[SKL]

I think that now that I have kids, I will be more careful about keeping records for all of us (even the dog, LOL).  I have had to provide my kids' vax records or vax history for so many things!  I am pretty careful about keeping them in an easy-to-find location.  (I don't have a ton of info, just which vax and which date.  It's also not exactly proof, but I guess they believe parents if they have a list??)

That brings up another thought.  How much "proof" is really needed of vaxes?  When my kids immigrated to the US as babies, they had vax records from their birth country, and I provided that info to our GP, who entered it into their system and printed it out along with new vaxes they gave.  Then when I was forcibly transferred to Kaiser, I provided that info to Kaiser and it was entered into Kaiser's system.  You can't tell where they got the vaxes or which ones were just based on my assertion.  But so far, everyone has accepted their current doctors' records as "proof."

[Sneezyone]

On 4/6/2021 at 4:06 PM, Bootsie said:

Do you have records of all of the vaccines that you have received?  With all of the talk of proof of vaccination recently, I started thinking about this.  I do not have a record of all of the vaccines that I have received and neither does DH. 

Yep. We’re military tho so carrying our vital records and keeping them all together is something we’ve always done. We’ve needed them to check-in to on- and off-base health clinics, schools and daycares, for ID verification, etc. I have a single accordion folder with all of our birth certificates, social security cards, eye exam records, orders, passports, school records/transcripts/test scores, and vaccination records.

Edited April 8, 2021 by Sneezyone

[Bootsie]

I really don't think that when I was a child that my mom thought of the possibility of vaccinations and recommendations changing.  Of course we got our vaccinations when were "were supposed to."  She also didn't think about the possibility of the small-town general practitioner in solo practice retiring (long before computer records) and that his nurse who knew us all by name (and even sound of voice) on the phone would retire so she couldn't just call and ask for anything anytime. I also don't think she saw a day coming in which I would need to prove a vaccination from decades earlier for school, jobs, etc.  I am positive that she never though of any issues of which lot, or which manufacturer, a particular vaccine came from would be relevant information.

[ScoutTN]

Only recent ones: flu, shingles, tetanus, covid. I get tetanus every 10 yrs bc it is usually required for scouting related activities/camps.

Aside from these, as far as I know the last vaccines I had were as a child in the 70’s and 80’s. 

[LaughingCat]

I'm old enough that I got at least 3 vaccinations at school -- and I highly doubt there's any record of that anywhere. 

[Kalmia]

If you were born between 1963 and 1967 (and in my case 1969!) you may need a measles booster. They only gave one shot back then and it could have been one of two types of vaccine, one of which has shown to give no immunity.. My mom has my card and I was given one dose of the vaccine. I had a titer done two years ago and it showed no immunity. So I had a MMR shot. So if you are anywhere in the range of years get a titer done. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2019/04/20/born-in-the-1960s-the-cdc-says-you-may-need-a-measles-shot-before-traveling/?sh=26d4b6da47bf

[Frances]

I would have only the last ten years or so, not childhood records. While we have printouts for our adult son, they are a ridiculous mess. I couldn’t believe his pediatrician here didn’t have an official form for them like the prior practice in another state did. They just wrote on the photocopy from the prior practice. I mean anyone could have written anything on there and no one would have known any different. But it was accepted without question anytime my son needed proof of immunizations.

One of my nieces was born in Japan and she got an official health record book at birth that according to my sister everyone gets there and all doctors, clinics, etc use it, so all of the information is one place. Honestly, I think it’s ridiculous that we don’t have some sort of national immunization database and/or standard US booklet with electronic backup.

[Frances]

3 hours ago, SKL said:

I think that now that I have kids, I will be more careful about keeping records for all of us (even the dog, LOL).  I have had to provide my kids' vax records or vax history for so many things!  I am pretty careful about keeping them in an easy-to-find location.  (I don't have a ton of info, just which vax and which date.  It's also not exactly proof, but I guess they believe parents if they have a list??)

That brings up another thought.  How much "proof" is really needed of vaxes?  When my kids immigrated to the US as babies, they had vax records from their birth country, and I provided that info to our GP, who entered it into their system and printed it out along with new vaxes they gave.  Then when I was forcibly transferred to Kaiser, I provided that info to Kaiser and it was entered into Kaiser's system.  You can't tell where they got the vaxes or which ones were just based on my assertion.  But so far, everyone has accepted their current doctors' records as "proof."

As far as I can tell and in my experience, no real proof is needed and places would probably accept info written in a napkin, it’s that absurd. Now there may be cases where schools or others try to verify with state databases, but I’m sure my son is not the only one who lived in three states by the time he was five. I highly doubt places are checking across multiple states, especially since many of his records only have the doctor’s initials and don’t even say where the vaccine was given, just when.

[Bootsie]

Even when I received my COVID vaccine and got my card, it wasn't filled out.  I was handed a signed card; I wrote my own name on it.  No ID was checked.  Then the person adminstering the vaccine forgot to put the vaccine and lot on the card.  I had to ask for the information to be added.  

[Frances]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

Even when I received my COVID vaccine and got my card, it wasn't filled out.  I was handed a signed card; I wrote my own name on it.  No ID was checked.  Then the person adminstering the vaccine forgot to put the vaccine and lot on the card.  I had to ask for the information to be added.  

At least in my state, it’s my understanding that the information is also being put in the state vaccine registry and possibly a national one? I also know it’s in my medical records because my healthcare system is the large local one doing the majority of vaccines and I signed up through them. Even those with different providers who went to their vaccine clinics had to create accounts in their system that had to be verified for identity. I was asked to fill in my own name and date of birth at the check-in table, where ID and insurance cards were checked, and then the rest was completed by the person who gave me my shot. Since I don’t normally get my immunizations at my doctor’s office, my COVID vaccines may actually be the only ones in their records.

[Corraleno]

With so many people saying they have no way to get vaccine records for their kids because they moved or changed doctors a lot — do you not transfer their records to the new doctor when you move? When we changed states, I just filled out a form to have the kids' records transferred from their previous pediatrician to the new doc. And then after they turned 18, the records were transferred from the p-doc to the adult doc. If DS eventually decides to settle in the city where his university is, he'll have his medical records transferred to a doc there. I just assumed everyone did that, no?

[Tap]

22 minutes ago, Frances said:

At least in my state, it’s my understanding that the information is also being put in the state vaccine registry and possibly a national one? I also know it’s in my medical records because my healthcare system is the large local one doing the majority of vaccines and I signed up through them. Even those with different providers who went to their vaccine clinics had to create accounts in their system that had to be verified for identity. I was asked to fill in my own name and date of birth at the check-in table, where ID and insurance cards were checked, and then the rest was completed by the person who gave me my shot. Since I don’t normally get my immunizations at my doctor’s office, my COVID vaccines may actually be the only ones in their records.

The CDC is pushing for a national data base for COVID vaccinations, but some states are pushing back and refusing to comply. I haven't read about other states,  but according to the NYT, NY is refusing

 

Some states, such as New York, are pushing back, either refusing to sign or signing while refusing to share the information.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York warned that the collection of personal data could dissuade undocumented people from participating in the vaccination program. He called it “another example of them trying to extort the State of New York to get information that they can use at the Department of Homeland Security and ICE that they’ll use to deport people.”

 

 

[Tap]

4 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

With so many people saying they have no way to get vaccine records for their kids because they moved or changed doctors a lot — do you not transfer their records to the new doctor when you move? When we changed states, I just filled out a form to have the kids' records transferred from their previous pediatrician to the new doc. And then after they turned 18, the records were transferred from the p-doc to the adult doc. If DS eventually decides to settle in the city where his university is, he'll have his medical records transferred to a doc there. I just assumed everyone did that, no?

For families that move a lot and have healthy kids, records aren't always transferred. Unless there is something major to track, lots of families don't have the information moved for just a few cough/cold illnesses. Immunizations are kind of a second thought that some people don't think of. 

[vonfirmath]

6 hours ago, Tap said:

For families that move a lot and have healthy kids, records aren't always transferred. Unless there is something major to track, lots of families don't have the information moved for just a few cough/cold illnesses. Immunizations are kind of a second thought that some people don't think of. 

This. With healthy kids, transferring records really is not the top of hte list. Anything concerning will be found in an exam.

 

[SKL]

7 hours ago, Corraleno said:

With so many people saying they have no way to get vaccine records for their kids because they moved or changed doctors a lot — do you not transfer their records to the new doctor when you move? When we changed states, I just filled out a form to have the kids' records transferred from their previous pediatrician to the new doc. And then after they turned 18, the records were transferred from the p-doc to the adult doc. If DS eventually decides to settle in the city where his university is, he'll have his medical records transferred to a doc there. I just assumed everyone did that, no?

I consider myself responsible for my kids' medical records.  We don't have a specific pediatrician or practice that we go to.  We used to when the kids were little, but the doctors changed frequently, then our insurance forced us into an HMO, then the HMO shut down with little warning.  We don't have medical conditions to follow, so there's no point keeping info in anyone's custody other than mine.  (If I die while my kids are minors, they can easily find my red "medical" file if they need it.)

[Lady Florida.]

16 hours ago, SKL said:

I think that now that I have kids, I will be more careful about keeping records for all of us (even the dog, LOL). 

I think our pets have better health and vaccination records that we do. 🤣

[Lady Florida.]

16 hours ago, Tap said:

Some immunities wear off too. So having titers of some illnesses like MMR isn't a bad thing to do, especially if there is an outbreak in your area. 

True but when I found my health records that had a list of my childhood diseases Rubella wasn't there. Just chicken pox, mumps (both sides) and measles. I grew up before there was a vaccine for any of those. 

[Bootsie]

10 hours ago, Corraleno said:

With so many people saying they have no way to get vaccine records for their kids because they moved or changed doctors a lot — do you not transfer their records to the new doctor when you move? When we changed states, I just filled out a form to have the kids' records transferred from their previous pediatrician to the new doc. And then after they turned 18, the records were transferred from the p-doc to the adult doc. If DS eventually decides to settle in the city where his university is, he'll have his medical records transferred to a doc there. I just assumed everyone did that, no?

I haven't found that this has worked too well or too smoothly.  The care that my kids received from specialists wasn't necessarily transferrred to the pediatrician's records.  Nor was the care they received at urgent care when they needed to be seen on a weekend or couldn't wait several days for a regular appointment.   Or, they had to receive a vaccine for travel while they were away at school and not from their usual doctor.  

We have moved within the past two years and when I went to a new doctor and asked about having records transferred they responded "we don't usually do that"  And then, would it be my GP, my OBGYN, the hospital that treated me for a severe allergic reaction, the doctor who performed surgery, the employer-based flue clinic....

When DS was 6 months old we were traveling in Europe and he got sick and had to be seen by a clinic.  They asked all kinds of questions regarding his birth...  When he was 19 we were in the same place and he had an ear infection.  We went to the clinic (now adult and not pediatric) and handed them his passport--they immediately pulled up all of the records from when he was in the clininc at 6 months old, knowing more about his birth and early medical history than any doctor who treats him in the US knows.  

[Tap]

7 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

True but when I found my health records that had a list of my childhood diseases Rubella wasn't there. Just chicken pox, mumps (both sides) and measles. I grew up before there was a vaccine for any of those. 

That makes sense. 

I had to get the MMR as an adult. My mother says I had measles at 1 year old, and has a story to go along with it, so I assume it was true. When I got titers drawn for a job, I had immunity to rubella and mumps, but not measles. In addition to that, I assume I was fully vax'd as a kid, because I remember getting them at school.