Immunizations Records Registry

What is an “Immunization Registry?” A registry is a computer data base that contains a persons immunization records all in one place. If you’ve ever tried to ‘hunt up’ your childhood immunization records, you may wish that they had been entered into a registry!

It can be very difficult to piece together a record of the shots you’ve had in order to comply with school or work requirements, or travel needs. An immunization registry can make getting your immunization records a snap.

One of the U.S. Centers for Disease Controls' goal of Healthy People 2010 is that state and local health departments develop and utilize immunization registries. This ensures that people and their health care providers have access to accurate immunization records and can help them avoid missing or possibly duplicating vaccine doses. This is especially important for children who are in the process of completing multiple series of immunizations.

Missoula City-County Health Department's Registry Participation

The Missoula City County Health Department’s Immunization Clinic enters all immunizations done here into our computer registry, as well as records received from participating health care providers. This provides a safe “repository” for people’s immunization records, and can provide them with a printed list of their vaccinations. The record is updated on an on-going basis as additional shots are received.

The Health Department also participates in the state’s web-based registry, known as WIZRD. Records entered into the Health Department’s local registry are transferred to the secure WIZRD site on a monthly basis. This enables people who move to other towns or counties to still have access to their immunization records, and for health care providers to make sure their patients are getting the shots they really need!

For more information about immunization registries, or HIPAA privacy laws regarding immunization records and registries, go to www.cdc.gov/vaccines and type “registries” or “HIPPA” into search engine.

Montana Immunization Information System