Children and Immunizations

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Immunizations and Children

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Immunization Records

The Canadian Immunization Guide (2006)as published by the Public Health Agency of Canada indicates that individual immunization records should be kept retrievable from three separate locations:

held by the individual or parent/guardian
record held by the health provdier who administered the immunization
local or provincial health authority

Each of these records should include the following information:

trade name of the product
disease(s) against which the immunization protects against
date given (day, month and year)
specific dose administered
site and route of administration
immunization manufacturer
lot number
name and title of health care provider who administered the vaccine

Individual Immunization Records: All family immunization records should be kept in a safe place with relatively easy accessibility. Immunization records should be kept safe by parents until children are considered old enough to be responsibe for their own records. Proof of immunization is required for children to attend school and for access to child-minding facilities. Immunization records are often needed for employment or entry into post-secondary education facilities. Therefore, immunzation records should be kept safe at all times.

Health Care Provider Records: Health care providers must maintain records of all vaccinations provided. Electronic medical records may make retrieving immunization records easier. Health care providers should be able to forward immunization records to supplementary health officials as needed.

Health Authority Immunization Registries: This system offers several benefits to maintaining accurate and effective immunization records. This system may help to prevent double vaccination by recognizing immunizations that have already been administered by another health facility. The immunization registry should be able to easily and quickly retrieve information regarding an individuals immunization status as well as necessary information regarding previous immunizations given (eg. date of administration, provider, manufacturer, etc.). This system should remain confidential but may provide statistics regarding the number of immunizations throughout the province.

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