About CAIR 
The California Immunization Registry (CAIR) is a secure, confidential, statewide computerized immunization information system for California residents. The registry is accessed online to help providers and other authorized users track patient immunization records, reduce missed opportunities, and help fully immunize Californians of all ages.
Providers in most of California use the CAIR2 system which is supported by a centraālized Help Desk and local suppoārt staff . The greater San Joaquin Valley, utilizes different software (RIDE) to access patient immunization records. View the CAIR Regions map (PDF) to see which system is used in your county.
How the CAIR system works:
- California law allows health care providers to share patient immunization information with an immunization registry as long as the patient (parent, or legal guardian, if applicable) is informed about the registry. Patients also have the right to ālockā the record in CAIR, so that immunization information is only visible to the patientās provider. CAIR āDisclosureā and āDecline to Shareā forms are available on the CAIR Forms page.
- Participation in CAIR is required for all healthcare providers administering immunizations and is open to healthcare providers, county welfare departments, foster care agencies, WIC service providers, and health care plans. Schools and child care sites can also use a tool called the School and Child Care Roster Lookup to access vaccine information in CAIR that is related to school or child care entry requirements by California law. To participate in CAIR, your organization must enroll in CAIR and agree to maintain the confidentiality of the patient immunization information and only use the information to provide patient care or to confirm that child care or school immunization requirements have been met.
- Health care providers and other authorized users log in to the registry using an organization code, a user ID, and a password.
Read-only users can:
- Access patient immunization information
Regular users can:
- Access patient immunization information
- Determine vaccinations due
- Enter new patients or vaccine doses administered
- Remind or recall patients due for immunizations
- Run ad-hoc patient reports
āPower users have all the capabilities of regular users as well as the ability to:
- Manage vaccine inventory
- Run vaccine usage reports
Of note, new patients or vaccine doses can either be entered directly into CAIR using the web interface or can be submitted electronically as aggregated data files (e.g., exported from their EHR systems) for upload to CAIR. Many prominent private and public health care entities already
share data elāectronicallyā with CAIR!
Laws and Policies
CAIR2 Policy Update for All CAIR2 Usersā
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Report ALL Immunizations
Since January 2023, California
AB 1797 requires healthcare providers to enter immunizations and TB tests they administer, as well as a patient's race and ethnicity, into a California immunization registry (CAIR OR
Healthy Futures/RIDE). The requirement includes doses of HPV vaccine and newly recommended immunizations, such as the RSV monoclonal antibody for infants as well as the RSV vaccine for older adults. āā
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āUse Your Unique Provider IIS ID
All authorized California healthcare providers must submit their immunization and TB test administration data using their own unique IIS ID (CAIR2 Org Code) once they are approved to use CAIR2.ā
Providers operating in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties need their own Healthy Futures/RIDE ID. Providers must never use another IIS ID, not even the IIS ID of the local health department who supplied the vaccines.
Accurate reporting of immunization data plays a crucial role in promoting public health and ensuring the well-being of our community. Maintaining precise and up-to-date records of immunizations allows effective reporting of vaccination coverage, identification of gaps in immunization rates, and a swift response to potential outbreaks. It also improves patient care by helping avoid unnecessary shots and missed vaccination opportunities.
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Enter Exact Vaccine Lot Numbers Provided by the Manufacturer
California healthcare providers are required by the National Vaccine Childhood Injury Act and California Health and Safety Code Section 120440(c)(4) to document the date of administration, manufacturer, and lot number for each immunization they administer.
CAIR2 users are required to enter the exact lot number issued by the manufacturer when entering vaccine lot numbers into the lot field in CAIR2. Please do not add text to the end of the lot number to distinguish between two funding sources (e.g., VFC, Private, SGF, 317).
āWhen enteringā a new lot in CAIR2, users should instead use the funding source field in CAIR2 to distinguish between two lots of vaccine with the exact same lot number. For example, to distinguish between a lot of VFC-funded vaccine and a lot of Private-funded vaccine, CAIR2 users must set the lot of VFC-funded vaccine with the āVFCā funding source and the lot of Private-funded vaccine with the āPrivateā funding source.
A new enhancement will soon be made to CAIR2 to more easily distinguish between two vaccine lots with the same lot number, the same funding source, yet different dosage amounts (e.g., one lot is 0.5 mL, and another lot is 0.25 mL) for vaccinating different age groups. ā
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Document the Name and Title/Degree of the Person Who Administered the Vaccine
California healthcare providers are required by the National Vaccine Childhood Injury Act to document the name and title of the person who administered the vaccine, in addition to other documentation requirements.ā
If you have any questions, please contact your Local CAIR Representative. To reach a CAIR Data Exchange Specialist, please email at CAIRDataExchange@cdph.ca.govā
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