Tips on getting immunization records...?

[Erk]

I've lived in a lot of different communities over the years, my parents lost a lot of paperwork when they split up, and I've not had anyone I'd really call a 'family doctor', not at the age I was obtaining most immunizations anyway. Can anyone suggest how I could go about finding my immunization records? I grew up in B.C., and I think those records are stored by the province, but I can't figure out how to obtain them from the provincial health authority.

[Jochi1543]

Have you tried calling the provincial health authority and asking them? I just called AB Health and explained my (similar) predicament. They had some things, but not all. I was able to obtain practically everything, it was surprisingly easy considering I got some of my immunizations at a walk-in clinic on the other side of the province. The only thing I ended up having to do here was pertussis (which gave me a horrible rash on my face for a MONTH) and Hep B antibody titer.

[Erk]

So far no dice on anything. Not only does BC provincial health not have any centralised records, I've called nearly ever town I've lived in and none of them have kept records that long, even the towns I lived in only ten years ago. I'm incredibly frustrated right now.

[hking03]

Have you tried contacting the schools you attended?

 

I had to track mine down from 1989-90... They said I was lucky they still had them at public health in Langley.

 

Good luck in your search... If it doesn't work out isn't it just a round of boosters? Or is it more of a pain than that?

[Mithril]

If your med school is offering an immunization review, just go to them. They can take blood samples and look for antibody titres against various vaccine antigens. From that they can see what shots you need.

[The Ace of Spades]

If your med school is offering an immunization review, just go to them. They can take blood samples and look for antibody titres against various vaccine antigens. From that they can see what shots you need.

 

Hey Mithril, any word if UBC is offering something like that?

[hking03]

Hey Mithril, any word if UBC is offering something like that?

 

Im pretty sure that Ubc does offer this when you set up the appt with student health.

[Mithril]

Hking is right. Student Health Services is offering a review. In fact, a review is required before you can step into a clinical setting. Look at the Year 1 forms and call them up to book two appointments, one for the review and the other for the TB test.

[Karma]

I was in the same situation as the OP when I got accepted. I went to a private clinic (it was a clinic for people who travel alot and need vaccination for that), payed 80$, got my review and was done with my vaccines in a couple of weeks. Vaccines usually loose alot of their protective effect every 10 years (that's what the nurse there told me) so even if you have them twice it's not such a big deal.

 

I think that if I went to a public clinic for that, it would have taken much longer and would have been such a pain in the neck.

[peachy]

I've lived in a lot of different communities over the years, my parents lost a lot of paperwork when they split up, and I've not had anyone I'd really call a 'family doctor', not at the age I was obtaining most immunizations anyway. Can anyone suggest how I could go about finding my immunization records? I grew up in B.C., and I think those records are stored by the province, but I can't figure out how to obtain them from the provincial health authority.

Don't worry about it. I didn't have any of my old immunization forms. All you need to do is get titres done for everything and then get reimmunized if there's anything you still need.

[Erk]

Thanks guys. That helps a lot.