What Vaccines Does a New Job Require — and How Do You Get the Records?

Which industries typically require vaccination documentation?

Requirements vary widely by role:

• Healthcare (hospitals, clinics, nursing homes): The most demanding. CDC recommends annual influenza, hepatitis B series, MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), varicella (chickenpox), and Tdap for all healthcare workers with direct patient contact 2Ref 2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers.CDC-recommended vaccines for healthcare workers: annual influenza, hepatitis B series, MMR, varicella, Tdap; titer testing to verify immunity for hepatitis B and other vaccines. Many facilities also require a TB skin test or IGRA blood test at hire.
• Childcare and schools: Often require MMR, varicella, and Tdap, mirroring what children in their care must have 1Ref 1Issa AN, Wodi AP, Moser CA, Cineas S (2025).Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger — United States, 2025.MMR, varicella, and Tdap requirements that childcare and school employers mirror from the childhood schedule.
• Food service: Requirements vary by state; some require hepatitis A vaccination.
• Military and first responders: Have their own regulated schedules.
• General office, retail, and service jobs: Typically no routine requirements, though individual employers may set policies.

Your employer's HR department or occupational health office is the right first call — they can give you the exact list for your role.

How do I find and verify what vaccines I already have?

Before getting any new shots, try to locate existing records:

• Your childhood shot record card, often kept by parents; your pediatrician's office may have older records.
• Your state's immunization information system (IIS) — search your state health department's website for how to request your record; the CDC provides a directory of all state IIS contacts 3Ref 3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Contacts for IIS Immunization Records.State immunization information systems as a resource for locating prior vaccination history to satisfy employer documentation requirements.
• Prior employer or school records, if vaccination was required there.
• Your primary care doctor, who may have records of shots given in their office.

If records are lost or incomplete, a titer test — a blood draw that checks for protective antibodies — can confirm immunity without repeating an entire vaccine series. For some vaccines, such as hepatitis B, employers may require titer proof even if you completed the series 2Ref 2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers.CDC-recommended vaccines for healthcare workers: annual influenza, hepatitis B series, MMR, varicella, Tdap; titer testing to verify immunity for hepatitis B and other vaccines.

What should I do if I am missing vaccines or cannot find records?

A primary care clinician or occupational health provider can:

1. Review your history and identify gaps. 2. Order titer tests where appropriate to avoid unnecessary repeat doses 2Ref 2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers.CDC-recommended vaccines for healthcare workers: annual influenza, hepatitis B series, MMR, varicella, Tdap; titer testing to verify immunity for hepatitis B and other vaccines. 3. Administer any missing vaccines on the correct schedule — note that some series require multiple doses over weeks or months, so plan ahead if your start date is soon. 4. Provide a signed, stamped immunization record or complete your employer's specific documentation form.

Timing matters: the standard hepatitis B series requires three doses over approximately six months, though an accelerated schedule exists — ask your clinician 2Ref 2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers.CDC-recommended vaccines for healthcare workers: annual influenza, hepatitis B series, MMR, varicella, Tdap; titer testing to verify immunity for hepatitis B and other vaccines. If your start date is imminent, discuss urgent scheduling with the occupational health office early.

What about religious or medical exemptions?

Exemption policies vary by employer, industry, and state. Healthcare settings bound by accreditation standards may have very limited exemptions. Your HR department can explain the process; your clinician can provide medical documentation if there is a recognized clinical contraindication — for example, a documented severe allergy to a vaccine component 2Ref 2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024).Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers.CDC-recommended vaccines for healthcare workers: annual influenza, hepatitis B series, MMR, varicella, Tdap; titer testing to verify immunity for hepatitis B and other vaccines. A clinician cannot write an exemption on the basis of personal preference alone.