C

Appendix C

Appendix C-3

What are Vaccine Information Statements (VISs)?

Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) are documents produced 

by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in consultation with panels of experts and parents, to properly inform vaccinees (or their parents/legal representatives) about the risks and 

benefits of each vaccine. VISs are not meant to replace interactions

with healthcare providers, who should address any questions or 

concerns that the vaccinee (or parent/legal representative) may have.

Using VISs is legally required!

Federal law (under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act) 

requires a healthcare professional to provide a copy of the current

VIS to an adult patient or to a child’s parent/legal representative 

before vaccinating an adult or child with a dose of the following 

vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella

polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

influ enza, pneumococcal conjugate, meningococcal, rotavirus, 

human papillomavirus (HPV), or varicella (chicken pox).

, 

, 

Where to get VISs

All available VISs can be downloaded from the websites of the 

Immunization Action Coalition at www.immunize.org/vis or CDC at

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/index.html. Ready-to-copy versions

may also be available from your state or local health department.

Translations: You can find VISs in more than 30 languages on the

Immunization Action Coalition website at www.immunize.org/vis.

You Must Provide Patients with 

Vaccine Information Statements

(VISs) – It’s Federal Law!

According to CDC, the appropriate VIS must be given:

▪ Prior to the vaccination (and prior to each dose of a

 multi-dose series);

 

▪ Regardless of the age of the vaccinee;

▪ Regardless of whether the vaccine is given in a public 

 or private healthcare setting.

To obtain translations of VIS in languages other than 

English, go to www.immunize.org/vis. 

Most current versions of VISs (table)

As of February 1, 2021, the most recent versions of the VISs are as follows:

A handy list of current VIS dates is also available at 

www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2029.pdf.

Top 10 Facts About VISs

Federal law requires that VISs must be used for patients of 

all ages when administering these vaccines: 

• DTaP (includes DT) 

• Td and Tdap 

• hepatitis A 

• hepatitis B 

• Hib 

• HPV 

• influenza (inactivated 

and live, intranasal)

• MMR and MMRV

• meningococcal (MenACWY, MenB)

• pneumococcal conjugate

• polio

• rotavirus

• varicella (chickenpox)

For the vaccines not covered under the National Childhood Vaccine

Injury Act (i.e., adenovirus, anthrax, Japanese encephalitis, pneumococcal polysaccharide, rabies, typhoid, yellow fever, and zoster), providers are not required by federal law to use VISs unless 

they have been purchased under CDC contract. However, CDC recommends that VISs be used whenever these vaccines are given.

*Federal law allows up to 6 months for a new VIS to be used.

fact It’s federal law! You must provide current* VISs 

1 to all your patients before vaccinating them.

fact

2 VISs can be given to patients in a variety of ways.

In most medical settings, VISs are provided to patients (or their 

parents/legal representatives) in paper form. However, VISs also 

may be provided using electronic media. Regardless of the format 

used, the goal is to provide a current VIS just prior to vaccination. 

Adenovirus ..................1/8/20

Anthrax........................1/8/20

Cholera ....................10/30/19

DTaP ............................4/1/20

Hepatitis A ................7/28/20

Hepatitis B ................8/15/19

Hib ...........................10/30/19

HPV..........................10/30/19

Influenza....................8/15/19

Japanese enceph.......8/15/19

MenACWY.................8/15/19

MenB .........................8/15/19

MMR..........................8/15/19

MMRV .......................8/15/19

Multi-vaccine ..............4/1/20

PCV13 ......................10/30/19

PPSV23 ....................10/30/19

Polio.........................10/30/19

Rabies ..........................1/8/20

Rotavirus .................10/30/19 

Td .................................4/1/20

Tdap .............................4/1/20

Typhoid....................10/30/19

Varicella.....................8/15/19

Yellow fever.................4/1/20

Zoster ......................10/30/19

continued on next page ▼

Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651-647-9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org

www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2027.pdf • Item #P2027 (2/21)
C

Appendix C

Appendix C-4

(For information on special circumstances involving vaccination 

of a child when a parent/legal representative is not available 

at the time of vaccination, see CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions 

at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/about/vis-faqs.html.) 

Prior to vaccination, VIS may be: 

• Provided as a paper copy

• Offered on a permanent, laminated office copy

• Downloaded by the vaccinee (parent/legal representative) to a 

smartphone or other electronic device (VISs have been specially 

formatted for this purpose)

• Made available to be read before the office visit, e.g., by giving 

the patient or parent a copy to take home during a prior visit, or 

telling them how to download or view a copy from the Internet. 

These patients must still be offered a copy in one of the formats 

described previously to read during the immunization visit, as 

a reminder.

Regardless of the way the patient is given the VIS to read, providers

must still offer a copy (which can be an electronic copy) of each 

appropriate VIS to take home following the vaccination. However, 

the vaccinee may decline.

Federal law requires the use of VISs in both public and private sector settings, regardless of the source of payment for the vaccine.

A VIS provides information about the disease and the vaccine and 

must be given to the patient before a vaccine is administered. 

It is also acceptable to hand out the VIS well before administering 

vaccines (e.g., at a prenatal visit or at birth for vaccines an infant 

will receive during infancy), as long as you still provide a current 

VIS right before administering vaccines. 

You must provide a current VIS for each dose 

of vaccine you administer.

The most current VIS must be provided before each dose of vaccine

is given, including vaccines given as a series of doses. For example,

if 5 doses of a single vaccine are required (e.g., DTaP), the patient 

(parent/legal representative) must have the opportunity to read 

the information on the VIS before each dose is given. 

If you administer a combination vaccine that does not have a 

stand-alone VIS (e.g., Kinrix, Quadracel, Pediarix, Pentacel, Twinrix)

you should provide the patient with individual VISs for the component vaccines, or use the Multi-Vaccine VIS (see below). 

The Multi-Vaccine VIS may be used in place of the individual VISs for

DTaP, Hib, hepatitis B, polio, and pneumococcal when two or more

of these vaccines are administered during the same visit. It may 

be used for infants as well as children through 6 years of age. The 

Multi-Vaccine VIS should not be used for adolescents or adults.

For patients who don’t read or speak English, the law requires that 

providers ensure all patients (parent/legal representatives) receive 

a VIS, regardless of their ability to read English. To obtain VISs in 

more than 30 languages, visit the Immunization Action Coalition 

website at www.immunize.org/vis. Providers can supplement VISs 

with visual presentations or oral explanations as needed.

Federal law does not require signed consent in 

order for a person to be vaccinated. 

Signed consent is not required by federal law for vaccination 

(although some states may require it). 

To verify that a VIS was given, providers must 

record in the patient’s medical record (or permanent office log or file) the following information:

VISs should not be altered before giving them to 

patients, but you can add some information.

Providers should not change a VIS or write their own VISs. However,

it is permissible to add a practice’s name, address, and contact 

information to an existing VIS. 

Additional resources on VISs and their use are available from 

the following organizations:

Immunization Action Coalition

• VIS general information and translations in more than 30 languages:

www.immunize.org/vis

• Current Dates of Vaccine Information Statements: 

www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2029.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

• VIS website: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis

• VIS Facts: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/about/facts-vis.html

• VIS FAQs: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/about/vis-faqs.html

• The edition date of the VIS 

(found on the back at the 

right bottom corner) 

• The date the VIS is provided 

(i.e., the date of the visit when 

the vaccine is administered)

In addition, providers must record:

• The office address and name 

and title of the person who 

administers the vaccine 

• The date the vaccine is 

administered

• The vaccine manufacturer 

and lot number

fact

3

VISs are required in both public and private 

sector healthcare settings.

fact

7 VISs should be given in a language/format that 

the recipient can understand, whenever possible.

fact

8

fact

9

fact

10

fact

4 You must provide a current VIS before a vaccine 

is administered to the patient.

fact

5

fact

6

You must provide VISs whenever you administer 

combination vaccines.

You Must Provide Patients with Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) – It’s Federal Law! (continued) page 2 of 2

Immunization Action Coalition • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651-647-9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org

www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2027.pdf • Item #P2027 (2/21)