Hospital and clinic documents
Vaccination record explainer
An immunization record is mostly initials: DTaP, Hib, PCV, IPV, MMR, VAR, each followed by a dose number, a date and a string of letters and digits. Add your card or printout below to see every entry named in full and the other columns explained.
Explain your vaccination record
- 1. Add itDrop a PDF, take a photo or paste the text.
- 2. Check itPersonal details are removed on your device. You approve what is sent.
- 3. Read itSummary, table of results, terms and questions to ask.
The explainer opens on its own page with no adverts and no outside scripts. Your file is read on your device and is never uploaded.
What you get
- Each vaccine entry on its own row, with the abbreviation written out and the diseases it covers named.
- Dose numbers and dates listed as recorded, grouped by vaccine so a series is easier to follow.
- The lot number, manufacturer, site and route columns identified, so you can tell which codes are administrative.
- Questions to ask your clinic or pharmacist about entries that are unclear or hard to read.
Abbreviations you may see on a record
- DTaP, Tdap and TdVaccines against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) in different formulations; Td has no pertussis part
- MMR and MMRVMeasles, mumps and rubella; the V adds varicella (chickenpox)
- HepA and HepBHepatitis A and hepatitis B
- IPV, Hib and PCVInactivated polio vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
- RV, VAR, HPV and MenACWYRotavirus, varicella, human papillomavirus and meningococcal vaccines
- Lot or batch numberThe manufacturer's code for the production batch the dose came from
- Site and routeWhere the dose was given, such as left arm or right thigh, and how, such as IM (into a muscle), SC (under the skin) or PO (by mouth)
What this tool cannot tell you
Vaccine schedules differ between countries, change over time and depend on age and medical history. MedicDecode therefore reads out what the record shows and does not say whether a series is complete, whether a dose is overdue, or which vaccines you or your child should have next. It cannot confirm that a record will be accepted for school, work or travel. The clinic, pharmacy or public health office that keeps the record is the place to ask.
Common questions
What is the lot number for?
It identifies the production batch a dose came from. Clinics record it so that a dose can be traced to its batch if a question about that batch ever comes up. It is not a result and says nothing about you.
Why does my record show a brand name where I expected an abbreviation such as DTaP?
Some records list the product that was given, and some products combine several vaccines in one injection. The explanation names the components where the record makes them clear, and otherwise leaves the entry as written for you to ask about.
Can it tell me whether I am up to date?
No. That depends on your age, where you live, your health and the schedule currently in force, none of which a record states. Take the record to your clinic or pharmacist and ask them to check it against the current schedule.
Words you may see on this report
Tap a word for its plain-English meaning, an example line and what it does not mean.
- Dialysis
Dialysis is a treatment that removes waste and extra fluid from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do this well enough.
- Directly observed therapy
Directly observed therapy (DOT) means a health worker watches you take each dose of a medicine, most often for tuberculosis treatment.
- Discharge summary
A discharge summary is a document written when you leave hospital that explains why you were there, what was done, and what happens next.
- Follow-up appointment
A follow-up appointment is a planned visit after a test, treatment or hospital stay to check progress and decide next steps.
- Hemodialysis
Hemodialysis is a treatment where a machine filters the blood to remove waste and extra fluid when the kidneys cannot do it well enough.
- Nil by mouth
Nil by mouth means a person should not eat or drink anything, usually before surgery, a procedure or certain tests.
- Palliative
Palliative means care or treatment focused on easing symptoms and improving quality of life, rather than on removing the illness itself.
- Referral
A referral is when one health professional asks another, usually a specialist or service, to see you or carry out a test.
- Triage
Triage is the process of sorting patients by how urgently they need care, so the most urgent are seen first.
- Vital signs
Vital signs are basic body measurements, such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, temperature and oxygen level.