Beginning Tuesday , December 14, HPV vaccination status will begin appearing on individual and child records in the WA Immunization Information System (IIS) Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) form and MyIR.net. Previously, the Washington State Department of Health suppressed this status on these platforms. Once this change is made, MyIR.net users will be able to view their own and their children’s HPV vaccinations in their IIS records once they log in.
This change does not affect MyIR Mobile because HPV vaccine information is already visible for users on that platform. For providers using the IIS, records will continue to display and forecast the same as they have previously.
DOH decided to stop suppressing HPV vaccination status for a few reasons:
- There is no longer prevalent stigma associated with the HPV vaccine or as many misunderstandings about its use. It is widely understood to be a vaccine for everyone that prevents several types of cancer.
- Removing suppression will increase awareness of HPV vaccine and improve the health of people in Washington.
- Being able to see the full suite of vaccinations will help families plan their health care better. When HPV vaccine records are not visible, they may be missing doses and not realizing it.
- This will align what patients see with what providers see in the IIS, removing any confusion.
- The new product MyIR Mobile shows HPV vaccination, so it makes sense for MyIR.net and the CIS to do the same.
This change should make things much easier for you and your patients because it will help families get a full picture of their overall protection and help them plan appointments more easily, leading to fewer missed doses, and it will prepare them to talk about their adolescent’s vaccines with you.
As a reminder, HPV vaccine is recommended at age 11 for people of all genders, and may be given as early as age 9, to prevent at least six types of cancer later in life. It can be given up through age 45. The IIS forecasts HPV vaccine at age 11, but it will count it as a valid dose starting at age 9.
If you have any questions about this change, please contact the IIS team at IIS.Training@doh.wa.gov. For more information on the vaccine, visit www.doh.wa.gov/hpv.