Click here to submit your question for
consideration by Dr.
Marla.
I changed doctors recently and I've lost the vaccination record for my 10-year-old daughter. Our old doctor passed away and I've lost track of who took over his office. What can I do?
A. Newer
vaccines that are presently being offered but likely were not given to
your daughter include the conjugate pneumococcal vaccine and
meningococcal vaccine. In Ontario, the meningococcal vaccine as well as
hepatitis B are offered in school at ages 12 to 13. She also will be
offered the HPV vaccine at that time.
You can access which vaccines are covered in your province by visiting phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/is-vc-eng.php
Vaccines administered to an individual should be recorded in three locations:
1. In the personal immunization record held by the person or his or her parent/guardian;
2. In the record maintained by the health care provider who gave the immunization; and
3. In the local or provincial registry.
It
is likely that when your daughter entered school you provided the
school with an immunization record. By contacting them or your local
public health department you should be able to get a list of the
vaccinations she had at the time of school entry. If there is truly no
record available for any of her vaccinations, it is recommended that
she be started on a routine vaccination schedule for children not
vaccinated in early childhood. You could have a blood test done on your
child to check for immunity to chicken pox, measles, mumps and rubella.
Otherwise, the MMR, polio and Hib vaccines can be given without
concern. There is some concern about so called ‘hyperimmunization’ and
increased side effects with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids if there has
been a recent vaccination. Discuss this with your current health care
provider as to what is the best strategy for your daughter.
Published in Summer 2009
Click here to submit your question for consideration by Dr. Marla.
