Question About Vaccinations

[JeeplessInSeattle 1]

My fiance (Canadian) has no records of childhood vaccinations. Apparently his mother took him to clinics for his childhood shots (they did not have a family doctor) and never kept the records. He did some research and found out that once those clincis switched from paper filing systems over to computers (yes...we ARE an "older" couple..my finace just turned 50) that they didn't enter them into computers but apparently destroyed them. So his vaccination records no longer exist.

Does anyone else have this experience of having ZERO proof of vaccinations when they arrive for their medical and can you tell us what we can expect? Or, is there anything else that my finace can or should do? Thanks!

[Krikit 1,165]

I am from the UK and immigrated to Canada. I didn't have any vaccination records either. What I did was take a copy of the required immunizations (link below) to my GP. He noted what I would have had based on his knowledge of UK immunizations, then topped me up on other vacs. He noted the immunizations on one of his scripts and I took that to the medical and it was accepted.

I am going to move your thread from K-1 Process over to the Canada Regional forum so you can get advice specific to the Canadians.

Panel Physicans - Immunizations

[CAdreamer 14]

I'm "older" too (geesh, I hate saying that!). My family no longer has my immunization records from when I was I child, and they are too far back for my family doctor or the public health unit to have records any longer.

I printed the immunization requirements from the civil surgeon's web site and took it to my doctor. He gave me a requisition to have blood work done to determine immunity for measles, mumps and rubella. Then I got a tetanus shot and a flu shot and my doctor gave me a new yellow immunization card showing proof of those. For my medical appointment, I just took the paperwork from that blood test as proof that I had immunity plus the card showing the new shots. The only other thing they asked was if I had chicken pox as a child, and they accept a verbal statement for that one (usually).

[at long last 58]

No worries, all you have to do is have some blood work done to show you have either been or not been vaccinated for those things. Go to Woking Medical and read what is required for your age .

Terri

[Colleens 40]

My fiance (Canadian) has no records of childhood vaccinations. Apparently his mother took him to clinics for his childhood shots (they did not have a family doctor) and never kept the records. He did some research and found out that once those clincis switched from paper filing systems over to computers (yes...we ARE an "older" couple..my finace just turned 50) that they didn't enter them into computers but apparently destroyed them. So his vaccination records no longer exist.

Does anyone else have this experience of having ZERO proof of vaccinations when they arrive for their medical and can you tell us what we can expect? Or, is there anything else that my finace can or should do? Thanks!

Go to your family doctor with the list of all the immunizations that are required for your age group and ask to have titre tests done for those. They will draw blood and test the level of immunity thus letting you know what you have or have not had. I took a copy of the test results to my medical and submitted it to them (it may also be beneficial to keep a copy for your own records). It took about a month for me to get my results and in ON the test was free. If there is anything you are missing you can get the vax from your Dr.

[gad33 47]

As others have said, he should be able to get a blood test to check immunities. I asked for them to check, mumps, measles, rubella (german measles), chicken pox and hep A and B. If they were taking my blood I thought I might as well get it checked for all sorts of things. I had had DTPa in the last 5 years.

The doctor wrote a letter saying what immunties/anti-bodies I had which I took with me to the medical.

The tests and the letter didn't cost me but I did have to pay $20.00 for a letter about the medication I take.

Edited April 20, 2012 by gad33

[JeeplessInSeattle 1]

THANK YOU everyone for your responses! This information (esecially the link to the age-specific list) has been a tremendous help!

[katchoo12 8]

I had the same problem ! I just decide to re-do them all ! There is some shots i could not have since they give them to babies only and no blood test for those either ( rotavirus for example) i just hope i will be ok ! Anyone ?

[sheeshkabelle 153]

I had the same problem ! I just decide to re-do them all ! There is some shots i could not have since they give them to babies only and no blood test for those either ( rotavirus for example) i just hope i will be ok ! Anyone ?

As long as you have proof of vaccines required for your age. 'babies only' shots wouldn't matter, hopefully you are over the age of 18.

You will need to declare you had chicken pox, or get the varicella vaccine

MMR

DTAP

[sheeshkabelle 153]

My fiance (Canadian) has no records of childhood vaccinations. Apparently his mother took him to clinics for his childhood shots (they did not have a family doctor) and never kept the records. He did some research and found out that once those clincis switched from paper filing systems over to computers (yes...we ARE an "older" couple..my finace just turned 50) that they didn't enter them into computers but apparently destroyed them. So his vaccination records no longer exist.

Does anyone else have this experience of having ZERO proof of vaccinations when they arrive for their medical and can you tell us what we can expect? Or, is there anything else that my finace can or should do? Thanks!

Don't feel old!! My husband is 33 and discovered Manitoba Health destroys records after 30 years. He had no way of getting his records.

He went to a local health clinic in Calgary, told them he was immigrating to the US. He got the blood titers showing he has immunity to Vericella, Measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and pertussis. He then got boosters for the MMR and DTAP. He also got HEP-B series, they are not required, but I asked for him to do so because I work in the medical field. '

The MMR booster and DTAP were covered under Alberta Health. (I didn't think they were) The titers and HEP-B series were not. It came to about $400.00, but his private insurance he has through work paid it.

The nurse at the clinic then gave him an 'official' immunization record. Where the child hood immunizations would have been recorded she wrote, "Proof of immunization with blood titer". She told him that will be sufficient for the panel physician for his medical. If he wanted peace of mind he could also take his lab results, and detailed receipts on their letter head. Others have done this and had no problems!

Edited April 21, 2012 by sheeshkabelle

[gad33 47]

The MMR booster and DTAP were covered under Alberta Health. (I didn't think they were) The titers and HEP-B series were not. It came to about $400.00, but his private insurance he has through work paid it.

It's not surprising that the same questions are asked over again when everybody's experience is difference. I didn't pay for the titres. And the only thing I had to pay for was the vaccine itself for HEP B not for it to be administered.

[sheeshkabelle 153]

It's not surprising that the same questions are asked over again when everybody's experience is difference. I didn't pay for the titres. And the only thing I had to pay for was the vaccine itself for HEP B not for it to be administered.

Agreed. There is no consistency from province to province, or city to city, or even from doctor to doctor. About the only thing a person can do when vaccine records are lost is visit their doctor or go to a travel clinic and try to get things straightened out!