Digital system to replace familiar yellow immunization cards

The ubiquitous yellow immunization card could soon be a thing of the past as public health units across Ontario move to a digital record system. 

Dr. Mohamed Alarakhia, chief clinical information officer with the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network, said the decision to go digital was made about a year ago.

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"Really, what it is, is it's about taking that yellow card that everyone carries around and we all have multiple copies of and ... making it easier for people to submit immunizations and for people to access immunizations," he told CBC News.

"We all either don't know where our yellow card is or carry around multiple copies of the yellow card. So this initiative really is just to streamline the process and make it accessible anywhere."

Accessed through online portal

When the new system goes live, people will be able to access their immunization records through a secure, online portal.

Alarakhia said users will be able to update their profile, adding new immunizations, and will be able to print off a paper record if needed.

Public health will also have access to the system, cutting down on the duplication that exists in the current system. 

No more duplication

Right now, when a person is immunized, a record of that immunization is stored in a number of possible locations. 

• It is noted down on a yellow card, which is kept by the person immunized. 
• It is stored in the computer system of the doctor or clinician who provided the immunization. 
• In the case of a child, it is stored in public health's database, if the parent remembers to report the immunization.

Alarakhia said this kind of duplication is unnecessary, leads to confusion and can cause all kinds of problems. 

From doctors to public health

For example, every year, school boards in Waterloo region and Wellington County issue thousands of suspension orders to children whose immunization records are out of date.

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The new system will make it easier for parents to update their childrens's information, but it could also make their involvement unnecessary.

Alarakhia said the goal is to make it possible for doctors and clinicians to do the data entry, "so that, as a parent, you won't have to worry about that."

"I would say that's a few steps down the road," he added, "but that's where it's headed."