About SYSVAK
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SYSVAK is a national, electronic immunisation registry that records an individual’s vaccination status and vaccination coverage in Norway.
SYSVAK was established in 1995, and one of the national health registries. The registry is authorised in the Health Register Act and associated SYSVAK register regulations.
The development of an electronic immunisation registry began in 1976 with a pilot project, SYSBARN, and included the counties of Østfold, Akershus, Oslo, Hedmark and Hordaland. When SYSVAK was established in 1995, all vaccination data from SYSBARN were transferred to SYSVAK.
Until October 2009, the notification obligation to SYSVAK only included vaccines given in the Childhood Immunisation Programme. During the swine influenza pandemic in 2009, a notification obligation was also introduced for vaccines against pandemic influenza.
From January 2011, the notification obligation was extended to apply to all vaccinations for all age groups in the population, and on 1 January 2020, the requirement for consent to registration was removed for all vaccines. Requirements for electronic registration of vaccines were approved by the Government on 4 December 2020. Health personnel who vaccinate are responsible for registering and reporting correct vaccination information to SYSVAK.
Purpose
The purpose of SYSVAK is to provide an overview of vaccination status for the individual and for vaccination coverage in Norway. SYSVAK contributes to developing and promoting the quality of the vaccines offered by using data to monitor the effect of the various vaccines and for vaccine-related research. By using SYSVAK, we can ensure that everyone is offered the vaccines they should take through the Childhood Immunisation Programme and associated programmes.
Privacy
Vaccination data are processed in accordance with laws and regulations in the health service. Personal information in SYSVAK is obtained from the National Population Register. Only a limited number of authorised persons at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health can link vaccination information to personal identity numbers.
See also the Norwegian Institute of Public Health's website on privacy and health data for more details.
Access to SYSVAK
Everyone who has been vaccinated and has had their information registered in SYSVAK has the right to see what is registered about themselves and their children under 16 years of age. A complete vaccination card is usually issued by the school health service at the end of primary school.
SYSVAK offers access to the vaccine service at helsenorge.no. Here, individuals can log in with an electronic ID and find an overview of which vaccines are registered for themselves and their children under 16 years of age. Vaccination cards can be printed in both Norwegian and English.
Enquiries about access can also be sent to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health by post. The enquiry must be in writing and contain name and personal number. There is an administration fee.
What is registered in SYSVAK?
All vaccinations are subject to notification to SYSVAK, and shall be registered without consent.
When vaccinating, health personnel must inform about the registration of vaccination in SYSVAK, and that registration is notifiable.
Vaccination coverage
For the Childhood Immunisation Programme, coverage statistics are presented for the vaccines included in the program. The coverage statistics are given for different age groups and indicate the percentage of children in a cohort who have been fully vaccinated at a given age. The coverage statistics are produced at county level and for the whole country.