No National Vaccine Record Database, Ask Your State Registry
There’s no national database of adult vaccination records: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says no national organization maintains vaccination records, and the CDC doesn’t have this information either. To find yours, start with your state health department; some states have registries (Immunization Information Systems) that include adult vaccines.
Your records may be with you or your parents, or in a doctor’s or clinic’s medical record. Some jobs, travel abroad or a child’s school registration may require a vaccination record.
Where to look
CDC explains (CDC vaccine records):
- Parents or caregivers: ask whether they have records of your childhood vaccinations, and look through baby books or other saved documents.
- High school or college health services: ask for vaccination dates; CDC notes records are often kept only 1–2 years after students leave.
- Previous employers: including the military, which may have required vaccinations.
- Your doctor or public health clinic: records are kept only for a limited number of years.
- State health department: some state registries include adult vaccines.
If you can’t find them
- You may need to repeat vaccines: CDC says you may need some vaccines again, and it’s safe to repeat them.
- Blood tests: a doctor can sometimes test your blood to see whether you’re immune to certain vaccine-preventable diseases.
Keep your own record
- Immunization record form: ask your provider for one or download one.
- Bring it every time: have the provider sign and date each vaccine you get.
- Ask to be registered: if your provider takes part in a registry, ask that your vaccines be recorded there too.
For choosing a primary doctor, see Pick a Primary Doctor First, HMOs Usually Need Referrals; for where to go when you’re sick, see ERs Can't Refuse the Uninsured, Ask for Self-Pay Estimates. For the vaccination records children need for school, our education site has several guides.
What this article did not check
- How to request records from your state registry: this page doesn’t say, and this article did not check.
- How to get records from your home country in English, and whether they’re accepted: this article did not check.
Frequently asked questions
Does the CDC have my vaccination records?
No. CDC says no national organization maintains vaccination records, and the CDC doesn’t have them.
I finished college long ago. Does my school still have my records?
Maybe not. CDC notes records are often kept only 1–2 years after students leave.
If I really can’t find them, do I get vaccinated again?
You might. CDC says repeating vaccines is safe, and a doctor can sometimes test your blood for immunity.
How do I avoid this next time?
Keep your own immunization record form, have the provider sign and date it each time, and ask a provider who takes part in a registry to record your vaccines there.
Sources and dates checked
All checked on 2026-10-31. This article is not medical advice.
- CDC, Staying Up to Date with Your Vaccine Records (page dated 2024-06-13):https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-adults/recommended-vaccines/keeping-vaccine-records-up-to-date.html