Keep track of immunizations

Chances are that when you need to find your child’s official immunization record it is hiding in a “safe place.” Or worse yet, it was accidentally destroyed in the washing machine because you forgot to remove it from your jeans pocket after the last doctor’s appointment.
There is help!  An online tool, called The Mother of All Immunization Trackers (www.canadaimmunization.com), makes it easy for parents to back-up their child’s immunization records, and to ensure that they are kept up-to-date.
“While doctors and public health nurses keep excellent track of immunization records, parents should be aware of which vaccinations their child has had, which ones they need and when they are due for the next appointment,” says Dr. Dion Neame, Associate Medical Advisor for the Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada and Chief of Pediatrics and Joseph Brant Hospital in Hamilton. “It is important to keep track so that immunizations are provided on time and recommended dosing schedules are completed for maximum protection against disease.”
The Immunization Tracker provides the recommended immunization schedules for children from each Canadian province and territory. Parents can register themselves and their children to this website for free.  An optional e-mail alert can be sent two weeks prior to the next vaccination appointment, making it easy to remember when the next set of vaccinations is due.
“New parents may find the Immunization Tracker very useful, to help keep them organized and on top of vaccines schedules,” says Dr. Neame. “In the first year alone, there are up to 15 vaccinations that need to be administered, depending on each province’s recommended schedule.”
While the immunization records stored on the Immunization Tracker are not a substitute for official records, they can be easily printed out and used as a reference. Also handy are the descriptions of each vaccine and what diseases they prevent.
To sign up to the Immunization Tracker visit www.canadaimmunization.com.