Find the Right California Immunization Record Route
Most Californians should start with the state’s Digital Vaccine Record rather than the professional CAIR2 login. The best fallback depends on whether you need your own record or a child’s, where the vaccine was administered, and whether the dose is in CAIR, Healthy Futures/RIDE, a provider, pharmacy or another state.
Use this guide to retrieve a printable record, fix failed matches and missing doses, recover old pharmacy or provider records, prepare school proof, understand the Blue Card and find the correct California help route without sharing private information with unofficial record sites.
California Digital Vaccine Record.
CAIR / CAIR2.
Healthy Futures/RIDE.
CSIR / Blue Card / CDPH 286.
Provider + My DVR Assistant.
Which California vaccine-record route should you use?
This is the resident-facing California route when you need your own or your child’s available immunization record for school, childcare, college, work or personal files.
The service can provide a broader California Immunization Record or a COVID-19 record with QR code.
CAIR2 is a secure professional registry used by approved healthcare, school, childcare and public-health users.
A resident trying to obtain a personal record should normally use DVR, the original provider, pharmacy, local health department or official DVR assistance.
Use this route for records associated with Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus or Tuolumne County providers.
Adults and parents seeking personal records should use the Healthy Futures record-help contact rather than a provider member login.
Families provide an immunization record. School or childcare personnel may use it to complete the California School Immunization Record, commonly called the Blue Card or CDPH 286.
Do not self-complete the compliance status or assume that a vaccine list alone determines admission.
How to get California immunization records step by step
Prepare the information most likely stored with the vaccine record
How to request your California Digital Vaccine Record
No DVR message, wrong contact information or expired link?
How to retrieve a child’s California immunization record
When to use My DVR Assistant
Use My DVR Assistant after the normal Digital Vaccine Record request cannot locate the record or when the available record needs review.
Retry likely phone/email combinations first, then move to the Assistant instead of repeating random searches.
Use official review assistance while separately contacting the provider that administered the missing dose.
A parent or legal guardian can choose the minor-record support path.
Why a California vaccine may be missing—and what to do next
Collect these details before asking a provider to fix a record
| Detail | Where to look | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Vaccine name | Provider portal, pharmacy history, card or visit summary. | Identifies the exact missing vaccination. |
| Administration date | Appointment history, pharmacy receipt, medical record or claim. | Helps staff locate the original encounter. |
| Administering location | Clinic, pharmacy, employer clinic or county program. | Identifies which organization should verify reporting. |
| Manufacturer / lot | Provider or pharmacy administration record. | Adds clinical verification when available. |
| Name / contact used | Portal profile, appointment confirmation or pharmacy account. | Can expose a duplicate or mismatched patient profile. |
Provider correction versus duplicate-profile merge
Start with the administering provider. An enrolled CAIR provider can submit or update vaccination information when appropriate.
CAIR provides a provider-facing duplicate-record merge process. Providers should verify that the records truly belong to the same person before requesting a merge.
When to contact Healthy Futures/RIDE
Healthy Futures operates the regional immunization registry serving providers in these counties:
Healthy Futures specifically directs adults looking for their own records and parents looking for child records to this number.
Do not attach unnecessary identity or health documents until staff explain what is required.
How California schools use immunization records
Parents provide the child’s personal immunization documentation. School or childcare staff use that information to complete the California School Immunization Record—CSIR, Blue Card or CDPH 286—or an approved computerized equivalent.
| Stage | School / childcare action | Family action |
|---|---|---|
| Collect proof | Obtains the child’s personal immunization record. | Bring a complete DVR, provider history, prior-school record or other accepted proof. |
| Transfer vaccine dates | Transfers documented dates to the Blue Card or approved equivalent. | Make sure the source record shows the correct child and complete dates. |
| Review requirements | Compares recorded doses against current California requirements. | Ask which exact vaccine or dose is considered missing. |
| Assign status | Determines whether admission is complete, conditional, overdue or covered by an applicable exemption. | Ask for the status and next deadline in writing. |
| Maintain file | Keeps immunization information with the student’s school record. | Keep your own permanent copy too. |
Current TK/K–12 checkpoints
| Checkpoint | Published requirement summary | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| New TK/K–12 admission | Records for DTaP/DTP/Tdap/Td, polio, hepatitis B, MMR and varicella are reviewed. | Valid dose counts depend on age, timing and vaccine-specific rules. |
| Admission in grades 7–12 | Admission requirements plus qualifying pertussis-containing vaccination rules apply. | Hepatitis B has a specific exception for admission directly into 7th grade. |
| Advancing to 7th grade | A qualifying Tdap dose is required. | This checkpoint is different from full requirements for a newly admitted or transferred student. |
What happens when a California school record is incomplete?
Call the school and provider. Ask for the exact missing vaccine/dose and which document can be accepted immediately.
Request DVR, provider, pharmacy and prior-school records at the same time.
Collect records from every provider/state and ask the school for an early review before the final deadline.
| Situation | What it means | Useful family action |
|---|---|---|
| Conditional admission | Some students may attend while appropriately spaced future doses are still due. | Keep the next vaccine date and submit updated documentation after each required dose. |
| Conditional student | The school reviews the immunization record at least every 30 days until remaining requirements are resolved. | Do not assume one initial approval lasts indefinitely. |
| Admitted student becomes overdue | California school guidance allows no more than 10 school days after notification to obtain the required vaccine(s) or applicable medical exemption before exclusion. | Ask for the exact written deadline. |
| Homeless or foster transfer without records | Special transfer protections can allow immediate admission while records are being located. | Give the new school every former-school/provider detail available. |
Locating a record and requesting a medical exemption are different tasks
A missing immunization record is not itself a medical exemption. California has a separate CAIR-ME process for qualifying school and childcare medical exemptions.
Where to look when an adult DVR is incomplete
| Source | What to check | What to request |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare provider | Immunizations, Preventive Care, Health Summary, Documents and old portal profiles. | Complete immunization history. |
| Pharmacy | Exact store, appointment email, old phone and family account. | Vaccine-administration history across available chain locations. |
| School / college | Health office, registrar and previous admissions records. | The vaccine record previously accepted or stored. |
| Occupational health | Healthcare, childcare, public-safety or clinical-placement files. | Copy of previously verified vaccine documentation. |
| Military / VA | Military treatment records and applicable veteran health systems. | Complete immunization history. |
| Another state | Registry and provider where the vaccine was administered. | Official registry or provider history. |
How to rebuild an old California immunization history
Locking a CAIR record limits sharing—it does not delete the record
A patient or parent can request that the record not be shared with other participating CAIR organizations.
The official lock form explains that the patient’s medical-care provider and public-health authorities may retain access.
The patient or parent can later restore broader authorized sharing through the official unlock process.
Information requested by the online lock/unlock process
California may not contain every vaccine given elsewhere
Use Nevada WebIZ when doses were administered in Nevada.
Use Oregon ALERT IIS and Oregon’s official recovery route.
Use Arizona’s registry or resident record-request route for Arizona doses.
Use the COVID-specific guide when a lost card, pharmacy record or QR proof is the main issue.
Foreign vaccination documents
Who should you contact for California record help?
| Problem | Best first route | Prepare first |
|---|---|---|
| DVR cannot locate record | My DVR Assistant. | Legal/former name, DOB, old phone/email, provider and approximate vaccination date. |
| Specific dose is missing | Administering provider or pharmacy. | Vaccine, date, location, receipt/card and lot number if available. |
| Healthy Futures county record | Healthy Futures: 209-468-2292. | County, patient identity, provider and date. |
| Possible duplicate CAIR profiles | Healthcare provider plus CAIR support. | Both name variations, DOB, contact details and provider information. |
| School rejects proof | School nurse, registrar or childcare administrator. | Ask for exact missing dose, accepted format and deadline. |
| General CAIR issue | 800-578-7889 or CAIRHelpDesk@cdph.ca.gov. | Explain whether the issue concerns registry access, provider reporting, duplicate records or privacy settings. |
Final California record checklist
California immunization record glossary
- CAIR
- California Immunization Registry, California’s secure statewide immunization information system.
- CAIR2
- The professional registry application used by authorized organizations and users.
- DVR
- Digital Vaccine Record, California’s public-facing service for obtaining available immunization information.
- My DVR Assistant
- The official support route for certain DVR matching and record-review problems.
- Healthy Futures / RIDE
- The regional immunization registry serving providers in eight California counties.
- CSIR / Blue Card / CDPH 286
- The California School Immunization Record used by schools and childcare facilities.
- SCRL
- School and Child Care Roster Lookup, an authorized school/childcare tool connected with CAIR.
- CAIR-ME
- California’s official process for qualifying school and childcare medical exemptions.
California immunization records FAQs
How do I get my California immunization record online?
Start with the official California Digital Vaccine Record portal. Choose the California Immunization Record, enter the patient’s identifying information and phone or email, create a four-digit PIN, and open the secure record link if a match is found.
Can a California resident log directly into CAIR2?
CAIR2 is intended for authorized professional users. Residents and parents should normally use the Digital Vaccine Record, provider, pharmacy, My DVR Assistant, local health resources or Healthy Futures/RIDE when applicable.
How long does the California DVR link stay active?
The official DVR FAQ says the link is available for 24 hours after delivery. If it expires, submit another request and use the new secure link and PIN.
Why is a vaccine missing from my California DVR?
Possible reasons include reporting lag, identity mismatch, duplicate records, a Healthy Futures/RIDE record, an out-of-state vaccination or older history. Ask the administering provider or pharmacy to verify the clinical record and registry submission.
Can the CAIR Help Desk add my missing vaccine dose?
No. California’s DVR service states that the CAIR Help Desk cannot add missing vaccine doses. The healthcare provider or pharmacy that administered the vaccine should verify and submit or correct the clinical information.
Which counties use Healthy Futures/RIDE?
Healthy Futures/RIDE serves Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties.
How do I get my child’s California immunization record?
Submit a separate DVR request using the child’s exact name and date of birth plus the parent or guardian phone number or email associated with the vaccination record. If it fails, ask the pediatrician to verify the registry information or use My DVR Assistant.
Can the California Digital Vaccine Record be used for school?
CDPH describes the DVR as an official record that can be used for school or childcare entry and work. The school may still transfer the information into its Blue Card or approved equivalent.
What is the California Blue Card?
The Blue Card is the California School Immunization Record, also called CSIR or CDPH 286. School or childcare staff complete it from the immunization documentation provided or available through authorized systems.
Can I lock or unlock my CAIR record?
Yes. California provides official lock and unlock processes. Locking limits sharing with other participating CAIR organizations but does not delete the record, and broader authorized sharing can later be restored.