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CS HCVG15-ADU-135 07/28/2016 

Vaccine Documentation

A Series on Standards for Adult Immunization Practice

Since patients can get their vaccines from many different 

healthcare professionals, assessing current vaccination status 

for patients can be challenging but it is very important. 

Keep an up-to-date record of the vaccines your patients 

have received to make sure they have the best protection 

against vaccine-preventable diseases. 

To ensure patients get the vaccines they need and to 

prevent unnecessary vaccination, you should:

• Record vaccination in patients’ medical records 

• Provide documentation of vaccines received to patients for their 

personal records 

• Document vaccinations in immunization information systems (IIS)

IIS are confidential, community-wide, computerized 

databases that record vaccines administered by 

participating healthcare professionals. Documenting 

vaccines into IIS can benefit your practice by: 

• Consolidating vaccination records for your patients

• Helping you assess your patients’ immunization status

• Making sure your patients have completed necessary vaccine series 

(for example, all three doses of hepatitis B vaccine)

• Reducing chances for unnecessary doses of vaccine or missed 

opportunities to provide vaccines

• Facilitating use of reminder and recall notifications to send to patients

• Making calculation of your office’s immunization coverage rates easier

For more information on how to access IIS, contact your state coordinator. 

(See back for details.) 

Even if you do not administer vaccines in your 

office, follow up with your patients to ensure 

they received the recommended vaccines from 

another immunization provider. 

U.S. vaccination 

rates for adults are 

extremely low.

For example:

• Only 20% of adults 19 years 

or older have received 

Tdap vaccination.

• Only 28% of adults 60 years 

or older have received zoster 

(shingles) vaccination.

• Only 20% of adults 19 to 64 

years old, at high risk, have 

received pneumococcal 

vaccination.

• Only 44% of adults 18 years 

or older had received flu 

vaccination during the 

2014–2015 flu season.

Sources: NHIS 2014 (MMWR 2016; 64(4)),

BRFSS 2014-2015 (www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview)

For resources and tips on vaccine 

assessment, recommendation, 

administration, and referral, visit:

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adultstandards

Information Series for Healthcare Professionals

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adultstandards 

DON’T WAIT.

VACCINATE! U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services 

Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention 
Resources for Documenting Vaccines Received by Your Patients 

• Learn more about Immunization Information Systems (IIS)

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/training.html

• Reach out to your state’s main contact regarding questions about your state or local registry, 

including whether you may be able to automatically transmit immunization data from your 

electronic medical records to your state’s IIS

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/contacts-registry-staff.html

• Provide your patient with a vaccine administration record 

www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2023.pdf

• Learn how to protect the privacy, confidentiality, and security of your patients’ information

www.immregistries.org/resources/privacy-security-confidentiality

• Learn more about meaningful use of Electronic Health Record systems and IIS

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/meaningful-use/index.html

www.cdc.gov/ehrmeaningfuluse/introduction.html 

Documenting vaccinations in IIS fulfills one of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 

“Core” Meaningful Use criteria. Learn more at:

www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/achieve-meaningful-use/core-measures-2/

immunization-registries-data-submission

For more information and resources on adult immunization, 

visit: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/adults 

Last updated May, 2016