Expert tells importance of vaccine records

Dear Heloise: It is an exciting time when our children graduate from high school and leave home for college, marriage, the military or other endeavors. There are many things that we make sure they have, hold and protect, such as their birth certificate, Social Security card and high-school diploma. We often forget to include their immunization record in this list.

Many times, an adult will need to show proof of immunization for college, a job or the military. Typically, the only records that exist are given when the vaccines are administered, or are in the medical records of the doctor or clinic.

It’s important to keep in mind that medical records for youth are maintained for only a limited number of years. Sometimes schools might hold on to the vaccination records of children who attended, but these records are generally not kept longer than graduation. When the personal record or a doctor’s medical record cannot be located, it might be necessary to repeat some of the vaccines or arrange blood tests to determine immunity.

Parents, as your children grow, make sure you know if their doctor participates in an electronic immunization registry. Inclusion in a registry will assure that immunization records are always available. Keep in mind that very few electronic registries existed prior to the mid-1990s, so most current high-school graduates will not have a complete electronic record. There are many electronic immunization registries across the nation. These are of great benefit now and will continue to be into the future.

Your family’s immunization records are important. If you have copies, keep them safe. If lost, they can be challenging to replace. Immunization status can be important in times of a health crisis. Request that your family’s provider submit immunization information to an immunization registry. Clark Petty, Immunization Outreach and Education, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, San Antonio

Dear Mr. Petty: I hope all of my readers will tear out this column and keep it somewhere safe to refer to. I still have my shot record from decades ago, when I got all my shots for a trip to China in 1979. Think any of the immunizations, cholera included, are still good? Heloise

Dear Heloise: I hate the drips down the bottle of liquid laundry detergent from the cap after use. I throw the cap filled with detergent into my wash. When the cycle is done, it is clean and dry, and I pop it back on. Shirley Hoy, Post Falls, Idaho

Dear Heloise: Tired of sorting through department-store coupons? Take a plastic 5-by-7-inch photo album with one photo slot per page. Label each with the name of a department store, and the pages alphabetically. As you receive coupons, file them in the album. Throw the album in your purse, and you are ready to shop and save! Debbie P., Brick, N.J.

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate