Immunization Registry

In May 2004, San Francisco became an official member of the Bay Area Regional Registry – a confidential, computerized information system covering a multi-jurisdictional area, designed to catalog and provide immediate access to a patient’s immunization history. Protection against vaccine-preventable disease is a fundamental component of public health and healthier communities. An immunization registry is the best possible strategy for assuring timely and appropriate coverage. Within San Francisco, this web-based immunization registry is being implemented in private physician offices and community health centers.

Immunization registries consolidate a child's immunizations from all doctors and clinics into one record so the child has a reliable immunization history available even when a family moves or switches health care. Registries can benefit families, doctors and nurses, health plans, schools, and communities.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health is working closely with the San Francisco Immunization Coalition and the Bay Area Regional Registry (BARR) group to install the California Automated Immunization Registry (CAIR) throughout private medical offices in San Francisco.  CAIR is a web-based product with multiple functionalities to improve immunization efficiencies at doctors' offices and to improve disease protection levels for children.

Having one registry for the Bay Area (including Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano, San Bernito, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Napa counties and the City of Berkeley) makes it easier for doctors and parents to keep track of children's immunization levels particularly when they move from one community to another and prevents over-immunization by serving as one central record-storage site. More information is available at:

• Communicable Disease Control & Prevention
• San Francisco Immunization Coalition
• Bay Area Regional Immunization Registry
• California Statewide Immunization Information System
• Immunization Registry Clearinghouse