Self-Reported FAQs
Immunizations
What is the Immunizations feature in My HealtheVet?
Immunization is a section of the My HealtheVet Personal Health Record. It is found under the Track Health link, in the Health History section. Here registered My HealtheVet users can self-enter their Immunizations. These may include those given by their non-VA provider, local health department or other sites that offer vaccines.
As a registered user, you can self-enter Immunizations and vaccinations you received. If you have a Premium account, you may be able to view your VA Immunizations. For more information about the different account types and what you can view, visit My HealtheVet Account Types.
How do I access the self-entered Immunizations feature in My HealtheVet?
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Sign in to your My HealtheVet account
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Select the Track Health tab
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Select the Health History
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Select Immunization
What is the difference between Immunizations Self-Entered and my VA Immunizations?
Immunizations, Self-Entered, is information you self-enter in My HealtheVet. These are your non-VA immunizations/vaccines that you update and maintain in your My HealtheVet account as you strive to manage and improve your health. The information is accessed through the Track Health tab.
VA Immunizations is information your health care team enters into your VA health record. These are Immunizations/vaccines given to you while you are at a clinic appointment, during a procedure, or when you are a patient in the VA hospital.
Note: To help you identify Information that comes from your official VA health record, it always has VA in front of it. If it begins with DoD it comes from the Department of Defense. All other information is self-entered by you. In the VA Blue Button, information you self-enter includes the word Self-Reported.
What Immunization information will I be able to self-enter and/or view?
In the Immunizations section you will be able to self-enter and/or view the:
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Name of immunization (vaccine) - a drop down list makes it easy to find and select the immunization you received.
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Date Received - this is the date you received your immunization.
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Method - a drop-down list makes it easy to select how your immunization was given (Injection, Inhalant, or By Mouth).
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Reaction - you can record if you had a reaction from a list of common reactions.
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Comments - here you can enter any special information you might have about your immunization
Why is it important to keep track of my Immunizations?
In today's health care market, there are many places we can go to get an Immunization/vaccine. This can be the local drug store, health department, at a health care facility (VA and non-VA), and now even supermarkets offer flu shots. There are also the immunizations we may have received as a child.
Making sure your VA and non-VA health care teams have all your immunizations information is a good practice. This helps them know you are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases. When your VA health care team has all your health information, they are better able to meet your health care needs.
Do not forget to share this information with anyone involved with your care. This may include your caregiver, VA health care team, and non-VA health care provider.
What are the requirements for using the self-entered Immunizations feature?
Immunizations you self-enter is a feature in My HealtheVet that is available to anyone with a My HealtheVet account.
If I had a reaction to an Immunization, where should I put that information?
The Immunization feature has a section where you can record an allergy or reaction to the vaccine. When you self-enter your information, there is a Reaction section Reaction. There you will find a list of common reactions to choose.
What you self-enter is immunization (vaccine) information that is not in your VA health record. For example, this could be a flu shot you got at your local drug store. Your information might also include immunizations you got as a child or received by your non-VA health care provider.
Your VA health team does not have access to your non-VA Immunization information unless you share it. When you use the VA Blue Button, you can view, print and download a copy of both your VA and self-entered immunizations, then share this with your VA and Non-VA health care teams. When your health care teams (VA and non-VA) have a list of all your immunizations, it helps them better meet your health care needs.
Where can I learn more about Immunizations?
Go to the Learn More section under the About tab. Here you can find general information about Immunizations and links to additional resources.
Use the Medical Library in My HealtheVet to learn more about the different Immunizations and or vaccines. You can also find information about specific health conditions. The Medical Library has in-depth information about medical conditions.
Yes, you can use the VA Blue Button, to view, print or download a combined list of your Immunization information, to include:
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VA Immunizations from your VA health record
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Immunization information that you self-entered in your My HealtheVet account
Take this with you to your appointments. This will give additional information to your VA and/or non-VA providers.
Note: Do not forget to include your self-entered Immunizations. Also include your VA Allergy and self-entered Allergies and Adverse Reaction information when you select VA Immunizations
Can my VA and non-VA health care team view my information in My HealtheVet?
No, your health care teams cannot view any information in your Personal Health Record. Your VA and non-VA health care teams do not have access to the information you have self-entered in My HealtheVet unless you share it.
Is information in My HealtheVet protected, secure, and private?
My HealtheVet is a secure website. The VA follows strict security policies and practices to make sure that your personal health information is safe and protected.
Important to Note: You are responsible for protecting your personal information you print out or download. It is important to protect your information. Protect this information the same way you would protect your banking or credit card information. Do not leave your printed information on a printer. Do not save your downloaded information to a public computer. When using a public computer, save your information to a CD and/or thumb drive. Remember to take the CD or thumb drive with you when you finish. You should never send an email that contains personal health information. This is because email is not secure.
What should I do if I have any questions about my Immunizations information?
If you have questions about your Immunizations:
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Go to the Learn More section under the About MHV tab. Here you can find general information about features in My HealtheVet. This includes Immunizations and links to additional resources.
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Visit the Medical Library in My HealtheVet to learn more about Immunizations, vaccines or about a specific health condition. The Medical Library has in-depth information.
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If you still have questions or would like additional information, your health care team can help you with questions you have about your VA Immunizations. You can contact them by phone or during an upcoming appointment. If you have a My HealtheVet Premium account, you can use Secure Messaging to send a question to your VA health care team.
Who do I contact if I have a technical problem with the Immunizations feature?
You can contact My HealtheVet about technical problems you have with either the self-entered or VA Immunizations feature. Simply, complete the Contact Us form to send a message to the My HealtheVet Help Desk.
Updated September 15, 2021