Vaccination Information Statements (VIS)

It's federal law!

"We have an obligation to provide patients and/or parents with information that includes both the benefits and the risks of vaccines. This can be done with the Vaccine Information Statements that healthcare providers are required by law to provide prior to the administration of vaccines." - Walter A. Orenstein, MD, past director, National Immunization Program, CDC

VISs are developed by the staff of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and undergo intense scrutiny by panels of experts for accuracy. Each VIS provides information to properly inform the adult vaccine recipient or the minor child's parent or legal representative about the risks and benefits of each vaccine. VISs are not meant to replace interactions with healthcare providers, who should answer questions and address concerns that the recipient or the parent/legal representative may have. Before a healthcare provider vaccinates a child or an adult with a dose of any vaccine, the provider is required by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) to provide a copy of the VIS to either the adult recipient or to the child's parent/legal representative. All available VISs can be downloaded from the website of the Immunization Action Coalition (in more than 30 languages) or from the CDC's website. Download PDF versions for Mobile Devices here. To find VISs in alternative formats (e.g., audio, web-video), click here.