RVNAhealth: What should you do with your vaccination card?

RVNAhealth President and CEO Theresa Santor tells you how to take care of your COVID-19 vaccination card.
Contributed photo

If you’ve received one or both of your COVID-19 vaccine doses, then you will have also received a little vaccination card. The card tells you which COVID-19 vaccine you received, the date you received it and where you received it. The card was originally intended to remind individuals of the date and time of their second dose appointment, but now it is serving as proof of vaccination — which makes it a very important card to keep.

The following are tips for taking proper care of your COVID-19 vaccination card:

Take a photo of your card. Take one photo after your first dose and a second photo after your second dose, if applicable.

Make a physical copy of the card. You can keep a copy with you and leave the original in a safe place.

Contact your primary care provider and make arrangements to send them a copy for your official vaccination records.

Don’t share your card digitally, as it contains personal information and is uniquely yours. If you lose your card, contact the place you received your vaccination and ask for a replacement. If you did not receive a COVID-19 vaccination card at your appointment, the CDC recommends that you contact the vaccination provider site where you were vaccinated or your state health department to find out how you can get a card.

All COVID-19 vaccination providers are required to report data within 72 hours in their state’s immunization system, so there should be a backup record of your vaccination status there. The CDC has provided a list of the Immunization Information Systems in each state, which is where to start if you need a replacement card, can’t remember where you were vaccinated or have difficulty contacting the facility.

If you were vaccinated at a pharmacy chain, ask to receive a digital copy of your vaccination record.

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