Is your practice following federal law when using vaccine information statements?”

What are Vaccine Information Statements?

Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) are documents produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to properly inform all patients (or their parents/legal representatives) about the risks and benefits of each vaccine.

Use of VISs is legally required!

Federal law (under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act) requires the provider to give a copy of the current VIS to the adult patient or to the child’s parent/legal representative before vaccinating an adult or child with a dose of any vaccine containing diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), influenza, pneumococcal conjugate, meningococcal, rotavirus, human papillomavirus (HPV), or varicella (chickenpox).

Additional facts about the use of VISs

Fact

Federal law requires that VISs must be used for patients of ALL ages (adults as well as children) before administering vaccines.

Fact

VISs must be given to the patient (or parent/legal representative) BEFORE vaccine is administered so they have an opportunity to read them.

Fact

VISs must be used regardless of whether the vaccine is given in a public or private healthcare setting.

Fact

At the time of the visit, you must provide a current VIS for each vaccine you administer. This includes providing a VIS before each dose of vaccines given as a series.

Fact

You must provide VISs whenever you administer combination vaccines. If you administer a combination vaccine that does not have a stand-alone VIS (e.g., DTaP-IPV; DTaP-IPV-HepB; DTaP-Hib-IPV; HepA-HepB), you should provide the patient with individual VISs for the component vaccines.

Fact

The Multi-Vaccine VIS may be used in place of the individual VISs for DTaP, Hib, hepatitis B, polio, and pneumococcal when two or more of these vaccines are administered during the same visit. It may be used for infants as well as children through 6 years of age. The Multi-Vaccine VIS should not be used for adolescents or adults.

Fact

To verify that a VIS was given, providers must record in the patient’s medical record (or permanent office log or file) the following information:

  • Edition date of the VIS (found on the back at the right bottom corner)
  • Date the VIS is provided (e.g., the date of the visit when the vaccine is administered)

In addition, providers must record:

  • Office address and name and title of the person who administers the vaccine
  • Date the vaccine is administered
  • Vaccine manufacturer and lot number

Fact

VISs are not required by law to be used for certain vaccines not covered under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (i.e., anthrax, Japanese encephalitis, pneumococcal polysaccharide, rabies, shingles, typhoid, and yellow fever), unless they have been purchased under CDC contract. However, CDC recommends that VISs be used whenever these vaccines are given.

Fact

VISs should be given in a language/format that the recipient can understand, whenever possible. For patients who don’t read or speak English, the law requires that providers ensure all patients (or parent/legal representatives) receive a VIS, regardless of their ability to read English. The Immunization Action Coalition provides VISs in more than 30 languages on its website at www.immunize.org/vis.

Here are some additional important facts about the use of VISs:

Immunization Action Coalition

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.

You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.