Often, people forget whether or not they have been vaccinated against a particular disease or how long it has been since their last vaccination. When you get a vaccination at your doctor’s office, the information is entered into your medical records so that can be one way to find out. However, people often move and change doctors so it can be difficult to track down records from years ago.

Another way to keep track of your vaccinations is by keeping an immunization record card. Whenever you receive a vaccination (except for influenza) the health professional should give you a card with your name, the date, and the immunizations given. Keeping track of these can be difficult but one option is to use a lifetime immunization record card which has space to enter all your immunizations. Bring this with you if you are planning on getting vaccinated and keep it in a safe place. You can even make a copy and carry it in your purse or wallet.

If you cannot find any records that indicate whether or not you have been vaccinated for a particular disease, there is a blood test called the antibody titer that can detect the presence of antibodies against the disease in question. If the level of these antibodies is high enough, it is a good indication that you have immunity to the disease and do not need another vaccination.