Is it OK to toss those COVID vaccination cards? What to know; How to get your records

David Robinson, New York State Team
·3 min read
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As new COVID vaccines roll out in New York, you might be wondering whether you need to bring your original COVID-19 vaccine card to your appointment.

Maybe you've lost your card, or it is damaged from spending years stuffed in your wallet or purse. Is there a need to replace it?

Pharmacists and health officials are quick to provide answers, noting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently stopped printing or issuing new COVID-19 vaccination cards.

A nurse practitioner holds a COVID-19 vaccine card at a vaccine clinic in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Jan. 10, 2021. Now that COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed through the commercial markets instead of by the federal government in 2023, the CDC won't be shipping out any more new cards.
A nurse practitioner holds a COVID-19 vaccine card at a vaccine clinic in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Jan. 10, 2021. Now that COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed through the commercial markets instead of by the federal government in 2023, the CDC won't be shipping out any more new cards.

But those interested in tracking and documenting their vaccination status, including for COVID-19 and other illnesses, will continue to be able to pursue the records at the state level.

The shift away from federal COVID-19 vaccine cards comes after New York this summer pulled the plug on the Excelsior Pass app used to prove COVID-19 vaccination and test results.

Are your COVID vaccine records still needed?

Nearly all of the COVID-19 vaccine mandates ended earlier this year as state and federal pandemic emergency declarations expired.

In other words, you won't need to produce or display your vaccine card anywhere in New York in most cases, including at vaccine appointments.

Ellen Fraint holds her daughter, seven-month-old Jojo, as she receives the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children at Montefiore Medical Group in the Bronx borough of New York City on June 21, 2022.
Ellen Fraint holds her daughter, seven-month-old Jojo, as she receives the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children at Montefiore Medical Group in the Bronx borough of New York City on June 21, 2022.

Still, maintaining vaccination records in general is important for some employment, travel and school-related immunizations, which currently recommend but do not require COVID-19 vaccines for ages 6 months and above according to CDC guidance.

Further, health-related reasons for tracking all vaccinations are clear, as medical providers use that information as part of treatment decision making.

For further tips about tracking down vaccine records, visit the vaccine links through the cdc.gov website.

Vaccination: CDC will no longer print or issue COVID-19 vaccination cards

How to get vaccine records in NY, including for COVID?

Nurse Sandra Lindsay, the first American to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, on Wednesday became the first American to get the Pfizer 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine in New York.
Nurse Sandra Lindsay, the first American to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in 2020, on Wednesday became the first American to get the Pfizer 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine in New York.

Vaccine records are available through the state Immunization Information System, which is affiliated with the Health Department's Bureau of Immunization.

COVID: How many New Yorkers are getting new COVID vaccines? Check your region's early total

A state law in 2008 required health care providers to report all vaccines administered to persons less than 19 years of age, along with the person's immunization histories, to the immunization system. Adults receiving vaccines can also provide consent to have their vaccinations reported to the system.

For further details about obtaining personal vaccine records in New York, contact the immunization system hotline at (518) 473-2839, or via email: nysiis@health.ny.gov. For New York City records, contact its system at 347.396.2400 or via email: NYCvaxrecord@health.nyc.gov.

Why did CDC stop issuing new COVID vaccine cards?

In this file photo taken on April 24, 2020, shows the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
In this file photo taken on April 24, 2020, shows the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.

Federal officials moved to stop issuing COVID vaccine cards in part because the process transitioned into the commercial market. Previously, the state and federal government tracked each shot and oversaw distribution under now-expired emergency orders.

In New York, more than 11 million people used the Excelsior Pass app, which was first launched in 2021. State officials initially said the app would cost $2.5 million to build, but the final price tag ballooned to $64 million overall due in part to additional technical and marketing costs.

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: COVID vaccination cards: Do you still need one in NY? What to know