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Vaccinations & immunization records (school, work, green-card)
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About
Who this is for
Families enrolling children in school, students, and green-card applicants who need their vaccination history sorted.
Where records are required
- K-12 schools — immunization lists, forms, and exemption rules are state/local and school-specific. Start with your school district or state health department's official immunization page.
- Colleges — often require some vaccines (and sometimes a meningitis vaccine for dorms).
- Green-card medical exam (Form I-693) — requires a set of vaccines as part of the immigration medical (a civil surgeon completes it).
- Some jobs (esp. healthcare) require proof of certain vaccines.
What to do
- Gather your existing records — including vaccination records from Nepal and translations if available. Bring them for a provider or, for green-card medical exams, a USCIS-designated civil surgeon to review.
- See a provider to review + catch up — a doctor/clinic checks your records against the requirements that apply to your school, job, or immigration exam and administers any missing shots.
- Get the required form completed — the school's immunization form, or the immigration medical (by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon).
- Keep copies — you'll reuse them for school, college, work, and immigration.
Cost
- Children: the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program provides free/low-cost vaccines for eligible kids (uninsured/Medicaid/etc.) — ask your provider or health department.
- Health departments + community health centers + pharmacies offer vaccines, often low-cost; many routine adult vaccines (flu, etc.) are free with insurance.
Frequently asked
Do my Nepal vaccination records count?
Yes — bring them (translated). A provider reviews them; you generally don't have to start over.
My child needs shots to enroll in school — where + how much?
A provider/health department; for eligible children VFC makes them free/low-cost. The school gives you the required list/form.
Do I need vaccines for my green card?
The immigration medical (I-693) requires a set — a civil surgeon handles it; bring your records.
Lost my records?
A provider can check a state immunization registry and/or catch you up; keep the new copy safe.
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