Vaccination nursing records: importance for monitoring the health of populations

Background: Vaccination nursing records are a source of relevant information for adequate epidemiological surveillance of the implementation of the National Vaccination Program. Objectives: To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of vaccination nursing records related to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination strategy (MMR). Methodology: The official vaccination records of 411 individuals, born between 1970 and 2004, were examined. We studied their vaccination, disease, and vaccination adverse reactions history. Results: There is a coincidence of vaccination information recorded in the Individual Vaccination Record and the Individual Health card in 96.22%. The followed vaccination schedules were associated with the birth generations to which individuals belong (r = 0.720; p = 0.020). Vaccination status was not associated with either the history of disease or the history of adverse reactions to vaccination (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Vaccination nursing records are reliable and accurate, allow the monitoring and surveillance of the health of populations, and ensure the success of the implementation of the National Vaccination Program in Portugal