Immunizations are important. Staying up to date on routine immunizations helps you, your family, and your community stay healthy and prevent serious diseases.
During pregnancy, your body is less able to fight off infections, such as flu and COVID-19.
You will need updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines anytime during pregnancy if you haven’t received those yet.
Getting vaccinated during pregnancy can also help protect your baby from serious infections like whooping cough and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Talk to your doctor or midwife about getting Tdap and RSV vaccines during pregnancy to protect your baby.
You have the power to protect your child from serious diseases with routinely recommended immunizations.
Immunizations prepare our children’s immune systems to recognize and resist diseases, keeping them healthy so they can keep growing, learning, and thriving.
Vaccines are also required for childcare and school.
Doctors recommend immunizations to protect preteens and teens against diseases they may face now or as adults.
Getting immunizations now will protect them for many years to come.
In some cases, booster doses are needed because protection from early childhood immunizations can wear off over time.
Just like we need to update our devices to keep them virus-free, our immune system needs updating, too.
That’s why yearly flu and updated COVID-19 vaccines are so important in keeping you healthy.
You may need other vaccines based on your age, health conditions, job, lifestyle, or travel habits.
As a parent, you want to make the best decisions to protect your child—staying informed will help.
Your questions are important, and you deserve reliable information to support your decisions.
For families with health insurance (including Medi-Cal), all or most of the cost of vaccines is usually covered.
As insurance may vary, ask your health plan or doctor's office if there are any fees.
Your Local Health Department +
For families without health insurance, find out if your child is eligible for Medi-Cal. Contact your local
County Social Services Office
for information. Some
local health departments
also give free or low-cost vaccines or may have information about other providers in your community.
The California Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program+
Local pharmacies
also offer immunizations for older children and adults (but not for infants),
but the cost is typically higher than the locations mentioned above. Check with the pharmacy about the cost.
The
Digital Vaccine Record (DVR) portal
allows you to readily access your or your children’s immunization records and can be used as proof of immunization for school/childcare entry or work.
Your DVR can also be printed. You may also continue to use other types of records as proof of immunization,
such as a digital or paper record from your healthcare provider or pharmacy.
It is possible that some or all vaccine doses you received were not reported to the California Immunization Registry (CAIR), and therefore your DVR may not be complete.
If your family’s immunization records are incomplete, here are a few other places to
find immunization records.
Don’t Wait. Vaccinate to help protect yourself and your loved ones.
Page Last Updated: November 03, 2023
Your California WIC Card
The California WIC Card makes shopping fast and easy. Take a look at this instructional video to find out more:
