How can you keep COVID vaccine card safe – and what if you lose it? Here are some tips
If you’re vaccinated against COVID-19, the last thing you’d want is for your paper vaccine card to become damaged, ripped or even lost entirely – especially as some cities and states require proof of vaccination to partake in certain activities.
But mistakes can happen and as time goes on, your vaccine card could become more flimsy or you might misplace it.
In the U.S., 63.5% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, and that means more than half of Americans have been given vaccine cards to keep track of.
Here are some tips for protecting your vaccine card and your options if you lose it:
Keeping the card safe
A first line of defense when it comes to preserving your vaccine card is to take a photograph of it, the CDC suggests, so you have a record of it on your phone or computer.
The agency advises doing so right after your vaccine appointments, but it’s never too late to snap a quick photo. It’s important to remember the card is double-sided so the front and back both need to be captured.
Additionally, the card can even be scanned with a photocopy machine or printer with scanner capabilities.
“PSA: Don’t laminate your vaccine card, in case someone needs to write on it again,” data expert Thomas LaRock warned on Twitter in April 2021.
This is important if you’re due for your second vaccine dose or you’re getting a booster shot.
One way to physically protect your card is with a vaccine card holder that might be worth shelling out money for.
There’s a variety available at online retailers like Amazon, including its top best seller in the category of business card holders. This option provides a pack of five resealable, waterproof vaccine cards for $8, so enough for a family.
For iPhone users, another way to keep your card safe is to upload it into your Apple Wallet with an iOS 15 feature that Apple unveiled in October 2021, McClatchy News reported.
It’s also a good idea to provide a copy of your vaccine card or the dates of your doses to your primary care doctor so they can keep a record, according to Mike Lauer of BJC Healthcare, a nonprofit health organization in St. Louis Missouri.
Ultimately, vaccine cards should be stored in a safe place where you won’t forget them.
If you lost your vaccine card
If you happen to misplace your vaccine card and it appears to be entirely lost, don’t fret.
The CDC says you should be able to reach out to your vaccine provider to request a record of your vaccination.
However, if you’re having issues doing so, the agency advises contacting your state health department’s “immunization information system.” The contacts for state health departments are listed here.
“Vaccination providers are required to report COVID-19 vaccinations to their IIS and related systems,” according to the CDC.
The agency also points out that if you signed up for V-safe on your smartphone or VaxText after your first shot, those platforms would have your vaccine information, McClatchy News reported.
The CDC emphasizes that they’re not in charge of vaccination records so you can’t request a new one through the agency.
If you were vaccinated at national chain pharmacies such as Rite Aid, Walgreens or CVS, you should be able to easily recover your vaccine card information.
With Rite Aid, you can create a digital vaccine card or login to your account with the pharmacy to print your vaccination records, according to the pharmacy’s site.
If you got vaccinated at CVS, you can access your vaccine records online or through its cellphone app, according to the company’s site.
Similarly to CVS, Walgreens allows those who were vaccinated by a provider there to access their COVID-19 vaccine record online or through the Walgreens app, according to the pharmacy.
The CDC warns against “vaccination card fraud” and urges people not to purchase, create or forge vaccine cards.
The first step you should take if your vaccine card is lost is contacting your provider or trying to see if you can digitally access your card.
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