Do you have your childhood vaccine records?

[redheadbaker]

I'm in the process of trying to figure out some abnormal blood test results. The doctor wanted to know if I'd gotten the Hep B vaccine. I know I got all the recommended vaccines, but I was born before the first one was approved, so I don't know if I got that one. 

I know where my old pediatrician's office is (it's still in practice, though he has retired), but I doubt they'd have records that old. 

[mofongo]

No. But they should be able to draw titers to determine if you have antibodies. I had to do this to get the vaccines series for Hep B.

[redheadbaker]

Aug 14, 2023 17:59:32 GMT -5 mofongo said:

No. But they should be able to draw titers to determine if you have antibodies. I had to do this to get the vaccines series for Hep B.

Thanks!

[circa1978]

No, and my pediatrician is loooong dead. But I don't have a great record of my adult vaccines either, outside of the past 13 years.

[pixy0stix]

Yes

[bugandbibs]

Yes, I do. Does your state have an immunization database? In some states you can access your records yourself and in others it has to be a medical provider or a request to have them sent to you.

I would still contact your old medical office- you’d be surprised at what has been digitized over the years. Most people our age didn’t get Hep B until their teens/going off the college age, records were digital at that point in the ‘90s.

[mccallister84]

In addition to your childhood pediatrician, your college or grad school (or perhaps even high school?) may still have them on record.

[sofamonkey]

Somewhere. But even with that, I had to check for hep b titers to see if I still had immunity, or restart the series in order to work in (industry specific requirements) healthcare.

[mofongo]

Honestly, at our ages, the info isn’t that useful. Titers should be done anyway. The hospital did mine and I had to get a few boosters b/c immunity had warn off.

[bugandbibs]

As an aside, immunization compliance is a huge part of my job and I have had to track down records from all over the country. People are always surprised by what has been digitized. Contacting your old high school usually can get you your childhood vaccines or your college if you lived in a dorm. Employee files (many require vaccine records), old travel visa paperwork and state immunization databases in any state you previously lived in. Some states will upload all of your immunizations (even if they occurred out of state) and others will only upload ones done in that state.

[fivechickens]

I do not.

I was planning to volunteer at a hospital. I had bloodwork done and they could tell I was not vaccinated/no longer vaccinated for MMR so I could guess other vaccines are the same.

[livinitup]

My mom does, in the home safe. It’s an old fashioned vaccination card & it’s hand written with each entry.

[heyyounotyouyou]

I do but that’s because I’ve been on Kaiser all my life and they have digitized everything. I just looked and the first immunization record showing for me is for a polio shot on 12/1/1972.

[cattledogkisses]

I do. When I started seeing my current doctor I had my old medical records transferred from my previous doctor's office, which included all my childhood vaccine records. My current doctor's office digitized them, and I can access my records through the patient portal now going back to birth.

[redheadbaker]

Aug 14, 2023 18:14:14 GMT -5 bugandbibs said:

Yes, I do. Does your state have an immunization database? In some states you can access your records yourself and in others it has to be a medical provider or a request to have them sent to you.

Apparently, they do! I had no idea such a thing existed. I was able to submit a request myself. 

[icedcoffee]

Yes. I needed them for grad school. It’s an old photo copy of a photo copy of a photo copy. Some of the vaccines are my moms handwriting which makes me think the nurse was like “here add this to the record while I inject” or something. LOL

[jinkies]

Checking your hep B titers is going to give your doctor more insight into your current health than your vaccine records anyway-- I'm surprised he didn't just go ahead and order that.

To answer your question though, no I have no health records at all prior to probably my late 20s.

[redheadbaker]

Aug 14, 2023 18:53:13 GMT -5 jinkies said:

Checking your hep B titers is going to give your doctor more insight into your current health than your vaccine records anyway-- I'm surprised he didn't just go ahead and order that.

That was my primary care doctor. My specialist appointment isn't until late September, I'm sure they'll check.

[VillainV]

Not sure how, but at some point my childhood vaccines were transcribed into my military vaccination record.

[ohgillian]

I do. I had to get it to go to college (30 years ago almost) and have kept it since then.

[erbear]

I do. They are handwritten 😂

[UMaineTeach]

Yes, my mom gave me my original card around the time I graduated college. I also made my PCP draw blood and check for everything still being effective before I got pregnant. He didn’t want to, but he did it.

This is why I’ve been forcing my pediatrician to actually write the vaccines on the card we got at the hospital when she was born. They fuss, but I want it. I did forget to bring it in the building for this last round (it was in the car, ugh) but I’ll have them fill it in next time.

[Susie]

Nope.  I must have gotten them for undergrad matriculation, and maybe for law school matriculation? but I don't have them now.

I had MMR titers drawn when I was worried about my immunity status at one point when we had a semi-local measles outbreak a few years ago.

[dale]

No because when my pediatrician's office was moving from one location to another they stored the records somewhere temporarily and a box got ruined. My high school luckily had a card that they filled out and I was able to use that for college when I was applying.

[heygrey]

Aug 14, 2023 18:32:21 GMT -5 livinitup said:

My mom does, in the home safe. It’s an old fashioned vaccination card & it’s hand written with each entry.

I have mine! My mom gave it to me a few years ago when she came across it in their safe.

I’ve had my titers checked as an adult, but it’s interesting to look at the little card. I had a reaction to the first MMR, so they did a modified schedule to finish it. All those notes are on the card.

[sonrisa]

Mine? lol. no. Those vaccines are 6 intercontinental moves back. If it didn't happen at Kaiser, (ie. since 2009) it doesn't exist. 

ETA: I do have a copy of my certificate of birth abroad, my marriage license and some other documents. But nothing about my health.

[Jalapeñomel]

Yes. But I’ve moved a ton, and it’s always been part of my important docs.

[wanderingback]

Yes because my mom saves everything. So I still have the yellow handwritten card. I have to typically get titers for everything but it’s come in handy a few times. Definitely not accessible via an online registry as I moved a lot as a child.

[beerlover]

No, but my mom always kept meticulous records so I guarantee she has it somewhere.

[mysteriouswife]

Aug 14, 2023 19:19:33 GMT -5 erbear said:

I do. They are handwritten 😂

Same! It’s on a blue folded card my mom had in her wallet the day she died. I was 34! She had my brother’s too. H and my brother made me keep it. I was going to shred it. Now it’s in my safe with my other personal documents.