Need a CA immunization record for school, child care, college, work, a health care program, travel, immigration paperwork, military forms, or your own family files? In California, the official online starting point is the CDPH Digital Vaccine Record portal, which can pull available immunization information from the California Immunization Registry, also called CAIR. This guide explains the exact request steps, how to print or save a record, how school Blue Card records fit in, and what to do when a vaccine dose is missing.
To get a CA immunization record, use California’s official Digital Vaccine Record portal first. Choose the California immunization record option when available, enter the requested identity and contact details, create or use the required PIN step, then open the secure record link if CDPH can match your CAIR record.
Official portal: California Digital Vaccine RecordIf no record appears, do not assume you were never vaccinated. The dose may be with a doctor, pharmacy, county clinic, school, employer clinic, military file, another state registry, or it may have been entered under an old name, phone number, or email address.
💉 Immunization Record Tools
Free interactive tools to find, verify, and plan your vaccine records — all data verified May 2026
🏛️ Instant State IIS Record Finder
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🔎 Where Should I Look for My Records?
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🔬 Titer Test Need Calculator
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⚡ Emergency Record Guide — How Long Do You Have?
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What a CA Immunization Record Means
A CA immunization record is proof of vaccines reported or documented in California. It may show vaccine names, dose dates, your name, date of birth, and sometimes a QR code or recommended vaccine information depending on the record type. It is commonly needed for school, child care, college, health care jobs, travel, immigration medical exams, military paperwork, and personal health files.
Official request page: Digital Vaccine Record request formThe record may come from CAIR, your doctor, a pharmacy, a school file, a county clinic, a travel clinic, an employer clinic, or an older paper record. The online CDPH portal is the best starting point, but the provider or pharmacy that gave the vaccine is often the fastest source when a dose is missing.
Official FAQ: Digital Vaccine Record FAQUse the CDPH portal, pediatrician, school office, child care office, or CAIR-backed record when available.
Open Shots for SchoolUse the Digital Vaccine Record first, then check pharmacy, provider, employer, military, college, or previous state records.
See adult record stepsContact the exact provider or pharmacy that administered the shot before assuming it is gone.
Troubleshoot missing recordsCAIR and California Digital Vaccine Record Explained
CAIR stands for California Immunization Registry. CDPH uses CAIR to support vaccine record access, provider reporting, school and child care record needs, and public health immunization work. The public-facing tool for many residents is the California Digital Vaccine Record portal.
Official registry source: CDPH California Immunization RegistryThe Digital Vaccine Record portal can provide a California immunization record when a matching CAIR record is available. It may also provide a COVID-19 record or QR code when available. But CAIR depends on what providers and pharmacies submitted and how well your identity details match.
Official portal: California Digital Vaccine Record| Term | What it means | How you use it |
|---|---|---|
| CAIR | California Immunization Registry. | Registry data used by CDPH, providers, schools, pharmacies, and public health users. |
| Digital Vaccine Record | Public CDPH tool for requesting available California vaccine records. | Use it online to view, print, or save a record when a match is found. |
| California Immunization Record | A broader immunization record, not just COVID-19. | Use for school, child care, college, work, or personal files when accepted. |
| COVID-19-only record | A narrower record focused on COVID-19 vaccine doses. | Use when replacing a lost COVID card or showing COVID proof where accepted. |
| Blue Card / CDPH 286 | California School Immunization Record used by school and child care staff. | Ask the school or child care office what record format it wants. |
How To Get a CA Immunization Record Online
Use these steps when you need a California immunization record quickly and safely. The screens may change, so follow the current instructions on the official CDPH site.
- Open the official CDPH Digital Vaccine Record portal. Go directly to myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov. Avoid paid “vaccine record lookup” sites, fake QR generators, and unofficial PDF forms.
- Start the request form. Choose the record option you need. When available, select the California Immunization Record if you need more than a COVID-19-only record.
- Enter identity details carefully. Use the name, date of birth, phone number, and email address that may match the vaccine appointment, pharmacy profile, provider record, or CAIR record.
- Create or use the required PIN step. Keep your PIN private. Do not share your secure record link with anyone unless they have a real school, employer, medical, or legal need.
- Open the secure record link. If the system finds a match, review the record. Check vaccine names, vaccine dates, your name, date of birth, and QR code if available.
- Save a PDF and print a copy. Keep a digital file and one printed backup. This helps with school, child care, college, work, travel, and future medical forms.
- If the record is missing, contact the dose source. Ask the provider, pharmacy, school clinic, county clinic, employer clinic, or travel clinic that gave the vaccine to verify or correct the record.
Information You Need Before Requesting a CA Immunization Record
Small differences can prevent an online match. Before using the CDPH portal, gather the details that may have been used at the vaccine appointment. This is especially important if you changed your name, phone number, email, provider, insurance, school, or address.
Official request form: Digital Vaccine Record request| Information | Why it matters | Helpful tip |
|---|---|---|
| Full legal name | The portal must match identity details in CAIR. | Try maiden name, previous last name, hyphenated name, or old spelling if needed. |
| Date of birth | One wrong digit can block a match. | Check month, day, and year before submitting. |
| Phone number | The system may use the number connected to the vaccine visit. | Try old cell numbers, parent phone numbers, or pharmacy appointment numbers. |
| Email address | The secure link may be sent by email when matched. | Try old email, school email, work email, or parent email if appropriate. |
| Provider or pharmacy | Needed if a dose is missing or incorrect. | Write down CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Kaiser, Sutter, county clinic, UC clinic, or other source. |
| Reason for proof | Different offices accept different formats. | Ask whether they need DVR, QR code, Blue Card, provider printout, pharmacy proof, or titers. |
How To Print, Save PDF or Use a CA Immunization Record QR Code
When the CDPH portal finds a record, review it first. Check the spelling of your name, date of birth, vaccine names, vaccine dates, and whether a QR code is included. Then print the record or save it as a PDF.
Official portal: Digital Vaccine RecordOn a computer, choose the browser print option and select “Save as PDF.” On a phone, use the share, print, or save option. If a QR code is shown, keep it visible and do not crop it because some systems need the full code to scan correctly.
Print the record, but ask the school if it also needs Blue Card review or another school process.
Ask occupational health whether it accepts the DVR, QR code, provider printout, pharmacy history, or lab titers.
Save one PDF with a clear name, such as CA-Immunization-Record-2026.pdf, and keep one printed copy.
CA Immunization Record for School, Child Care, College and Blue Card
California schools and child care programs may require proof of immunization before attendance. The Digital Vaccine Record may help, but schools may still use their own recordkeeping process, including the California School Immunization Record, also called the Blue Card or CDPH 286.
Official school resource: California Shots for SchoolParents should not use fake Blue Card templates or unofficial vaccine record PDFs. Use CDPH, the child’s provider, school office, child care office, pharmacy, CAIR-backed record, or local health department. For out-of-state transfers, bring the full previous record to the school and provider for review.
| School situation | Likely proof needed | Best first action |
|---|---|---|
| Child care or preschool | Child immunization record, provider record, or school process. | Ask the child care office and pediatrician what proof is accepted. |
| TK or kindergarten | Required vaccine dates reviewed by school staff. | Use DVR, provider printout, or school-requested proof before enrollment week. |
| 7th grade | Updated grade-level immunization review. | Ask what is missing before scheduling extra shots. |
| Blue Card / CDPH 286 | California School Immunization Record. | Ask the school how it handles Blue Card or equivalent records. |
| College or clinical program | Campus upload, vaccine dates, titers, or provider signature. | Check the student health portal before ordering labs. |
| Moved from another state | Previous state record reviewed by California school or provider. | Contact the old state registry and bring the complete record. |
Adult CA Immunization Records
Adults may need CA immunization records for college, health care work, nursing school, clinical rotations, travel, immigration medical exams, military paperwork, employment, caregiver jobs, or personal health files. Adult records can be harder to recover if vaccines were given years ago, outside California, or before electronic reporting became common.
Related guide: California Vaccine Record 2026 Guide| Adult need | Best first source | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Health care job | DVR, provider portal, pharmacy, occupational health. | MMR, varicella, hepatitis B, Tdap, flu, COVID-19, TB, or titers if accepted. |
| College or nursing school | Student health portal plus DVR and provider records. | Campus-specific vaccine form, dates, or lab titers. |
| Travel | Travel clinic, pharmacy, provider, and DVR. | Routine and travel vaccine dates. |
| Immigration exam | Civil surgeon instructions plus vaccine records. | Civil-surgeon-reviewed proof and accepted titers if allowed. |
| Lost childhood records | DVR, old doctor, school, parent file, previous state registry. | Complete immunization history with exact dates if available. |
What If Your CA Immunization Record Is Missing or Wrong?
A missing CDPH Digital Vaccine Record or CAIR match does not prove the vaccine was never given. It usually means the portal cannot match the details, the dose was not reported to CAIR, the vaccine was entered under old contact details, or the vaccine was given outside California.
Official troubleshooting: Digital Vaccine Record FAQ| Problem | What it may mean | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| No match found | Name, date of birth, phone, email, or CAIR details do not match. | Try old phone numbers, old emails, previous names, or provider spelling. |
| Dose missing | The provider or pharmacy may not have reported it or it may not have matched. | Contact the exact place that gave the vaccine. |
| Wrong name or birth date | The vaccinator may have entered identity details incorrectly. | Ask the provider, pharmacy, or CAIR help route about correction steps. |
| Out-of-state vaccine | The dose may be in another state’s immunization registry. | Use CDC IIS contacts for the state where the vaccine was given. |
| Old childhood record missing | Older records may be paper-only or stored with a school or pediatrician. | Check old doctors, schools, parents, family files, and previous state registries. |
| Pharmacy dose missing | A pharmacy record may not have linked correctly to CAIR. | Check CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Costco, grocery pharmacy, or local pharmacy account. |
Pharmacy, Provider, Hospital and County Clinic Records
Many California vaccines are given outside a primary care office. Flu, COVID-19, RSV, shingles, pneumonia, hepatitis, Tdap, and travel vaccines may be stored in pharmacy systems, employer clinic files, travel clinic records, or county health records.
Check the pharmacy app or account using the phone and email used at the vaccine appointment.
Check your provider portal for immunizations, health summary, visit records, or medical record downloads.
Ask the county or clinic that gave the shot if CDPH DVR does not show the dose.
Ask the student health center, school nurse, registrar, or college portal for older records.
Ask HR, occupational health, or the vendor that ran the clinic for proof.
Check VA, TRICARE, military clinic, service medical records, or federal health portals.
Los Angeles, San Diego, Bay Area, Sacramento, Orange County and Local CA Help
California record searches often become local because the vaccine may have been given at a county clinic, pharmacy, school clinic, health system, employer site, or travel clinic. Start with CDPH DVR, then contact the exact vaccine source.
Local example: San Diego County immunization record help| If you live near | Common search intent | Best action |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | LA County vaccine record, COVID QR, school proof, public health clinic record. | Use CDPH DVR, then provider, pharmacy, county clinic, or local health route. |
| San Diego County | San Diego immunization record, CAIR help, school vaccine proof. | Use DVR, then San Diego County guidance, provider, pharmacy, or CAIR help. |
| Bay Area | San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Kaiser or provider vaccine records. | Check CDPH DVR, provider portals, pharmacy accounts, and local health department pages. |
| Sacramento | State record, CDPH record, college proof, provider record. | Use CDPH portal and confirm the format required by school, employer, or college. |
| Orange County | OC vaccine record, yellow card, school proof, pharmacy dose. | Use CDPH DVR, provider or pharmacy, and Orange County HCA route if the vaccine was given there. |
| Riverside or San Bernardino | Inland Empire school, work, pharmacy, or county vaccine record. | Try CDPH DVR, then pharmacy, clinic, county health department, or school records. |
Titer Tests When CA Immunization Records Are Lost
A titer is a blood test that may show immunity to certain diseases. It can help when adult childhood records are lost, especially for health care jobs, nursing school, medical programs, and clinical rotations. But the organization asking for proof decides whether titers are accepted.
| Situation | Titers may help with | Ask first |
|---|---|---|
| Health care job | MMR, varicella, hepatitis B. | Ask occupational health for exact lab and result rules. |
| Nursing or medical school | MMR, varicella, hepatitis B. | Ask whether positive IgG titers replace vaccine dates. |
| Immigration medical exam | Civil-surgeon-reviewed proof. | Ask the civil surgeon before paying for labs. |
| Child care or K-12 school | Limited situations only. | Follow school, provider, and California school immunization instructions. |
Official CA Immunization Record Links and Related Guides
Use official sources first. This page is an independent guide for California residents and is not CDPH, CAIR, CA.gov, a county health department, a school district, a pharmacy, or a healthcare provider.
Official California portal to request a digital vaccine record from available CAIR data.
Open DVR portalDirect request form for a California immunization record or COVID-19-only record when available.
Open request formOfficial help for missing records, child records, QR codes, and troubleshooting.
Open DVR FAQCalifornia Immunization Registry information from CDPH.
Open CAIR pageCDPH help desk contact page for CAIR support.
Open CAIR Help DeskCalifornia school and child care immunization resource.
Open Shots for SchoolUse this when vaccines were given in another state.
Open CDC IIS contactsLocal example page for finding immunization records in California.
Open San Diego guideOfficial CA.gov state service directory for CDPH.
Open CDPH on CA.govRelated ImmunizationRecord.org California pages
These internal links were checked as live and are directly relevant to California immunization record intent.
Source Check and Trust Note
This guide was built from California Department of Public Health Digital Vaccine Record guidance, CDPH CAIR information, CAIR Help Desk information, California Shots for School, CDC IIS contact guidance, CA.gov CDPH directory details, local California public health record help, and live related ImmunizationRecord.org California pages. Record access rules, QR-code use, provider reporting, school requirements, employer policies, county processes, and help-desk details can change. Always confirm final requirements with CDPH, CAIR, your provider, pharmacy, school, employer, college, local health department, travel clinic, previous state registry, or civil surgeon.
CA Immunization Record FAQs
Use the official CDPH Digital Vaccine Record portal first. If a matching CAIR record is found, you can view, save, or print the record. If the record is missing, contact the provider, pharmacy, school, local health department, or CAIR Help Desk.
Open Digital Vaccine RecordThe official public portal is myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov. Use that CDPH portal before entering private information on any third-party vaccine record website.
CAIR means California Immunization Registry. It stores vaccine information reported by participating providers, pharmacies, clinics, schools, and public health partners.
Open CAIR pageYes. The CDPH Digital Vaccine Record is an official California route for accessing available immunization record information from CAIR. The receiving office still decides what format it accepts.
Parents and guardians can request a child’s Digital Vaccine Record when the details match available CAIR information. Submit each child’s request separately if needed.
Open DVR requestTry old phone numbers, old emails, previous names, and details used when vaccinated. If it still fails, contact the provider, pharmacy, clinic, local health department, or CAIR Help Desk.
Open DVR FAQStart with the provider, pharmacy, county site, school clinic, employer clinic, or health system that gave the vaccine. They may need to verify or correct how the dose was reported.
Yes. If the CDPH portal finds your record, you can save or print it. Keep one PDF copy and one paper copy for school, work, travel, or personal files.
Often, but the receiving organization decides. Ask whether it accepts the QR code, PDF, printed record, provider printout, pharmacy record, or another form.
The Blue Card, also called CDPH 286 or California School Immunization Record, is used by schools and child care programs to track required immunization information.
Open Shots for SchoolPharmacy vaccines may appear if reported and matched correctly. If a dose is missing, check the pharmacy account directly and ask the pharmacy for a vaccine history.
Start with the CDPH Digital Vaccine Record portal. If the COVID-19 dose is missing, contact the pharmacy, clinic, county site, employer clinic, or provider that gave the vaccine.
Open DVR portalTry the Digital Vaccine Record portal, old pediatrician, school records, county health department, family paper files, pharmacy records, and previous state registries if vaccines were given outside California.
Contact the immunization registry in the state where the vaccine was given, then bring the record to your California provider, school, employer, college, or local health department.
CDC IIS contactsSometimes. Titers may help for certain vaccines, especially for health care work or college programs, but the requesting organization decides whether titers are accepted. Ask before paying for labs.
CDPH lists CAIR Help Desk support at 800-578-7889 and CAIRHelpDesk@cdph.ca.gov. Your provider, pharmacy, school, local health department, or employer may still be the best first contact depending on the issue.
Open CAIR Help DeskNo. ImmunizationRecord.org is an independent informational guide. Use CDPH, CAIR, your local health department, provider, pharmacy, school, employer, college, or civil surgeon as the final authority.