By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay reporter
TUESDAY, May 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) – More than 147 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and they all have the same question:
What do I do with this vaccination card you just gave me?
Whatever you do, don’t throw it away, experts say.
An electronic record of your vaccination should be submitted to your state by whoever gave you the sting. Sticking to your own paper record, however, will likely come in handy.
“With so much discussion going on about different entities that need evidence of vaccination, who knows what the impact will be?” Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, said, “Currently, over 100 colleges and universities are counting their students to provide evidence of having been vaccinated when they return this fall.”
“There may be other circumstances in which this will occur in the not too distant future, so keep it in a safe place. You may need it to do this or that in the near future,” Schaffner continued.
Keep your completed COVID vaccination card with other important documents recommended by experts.
For example, Dr. Amesh Adalja – a senior scientist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore – tucked his passport in his passport along with a very similar yellow fever vaccination card.
Experts disagree on whether or not to have the card laminated.
“Some people have laminated it, but there is a warning: a colleague of mine tried to laminate it himself and messed it up,” said Schaffner. “Then they had to go out and get a new card, which was very annoying.”
Office supply stores like Staples and Office Depot offer card laminating for free, but you should only have to pay a few dollars to have a card laminated at your local copy center, Schaffner said.
Schaffner and Adalja did not laminate their cards as more may need to be added to their personal COVID vaccine record.
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“I put it in a little plastic sleeve, actually a pouch, and I put it under my other secure papers. When I need it, it will be available,” said Schaffner. “I have room on the back for a booster if I ever need it. That’s important, and that’s one of the reasons I didn’t laminate it.”
Others say having your card laminated after it’s fully immunized shouldn’t be a big deal, as more complex recording systems – such as a smartphone app – are currently in development.
“I would laminate it because technology was advancing by the time a booster was introduced,” Maureen Miller, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, told CBS News.
All experts agree that it is a good idea to take a picture of your finished card and keep it on your phone so you have an instantly available copy to hand. If you don’t have a smartphone, keep a photocopy of the original card in your purse or wallet.
You should also make sure to tell your GP that you received the vaccine as well as the VA or Medicare to keep your personal medical record updated. You may be asked for a copy of your vaccination card. So be ready to fax or email a copy.
However, experts disagree on whether to share this picture on social media like Facebook or Twitter to share your good news and encourage others to give up.
“I shared it on social media to show people that I was vaccinated and to encourage them to do the same,” Adalja said.
However, you may want to take steps to obfuscate information that identity thieves may be using.
“I wouldn’t post it on social media with my birthday show,” epidemiologist Danielle Ompad, a professor at NYU School of Global Public Health, told CBS News. “It’s a unique identifier that could allow someone to steal your identity, so I’d be careful first.”
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Don’t worry if you lose your card or have thrown it away after completing your vaccination series. As mentioned earlier, an electronic record of your vaccination will be sent to your state’s health department. Ask for a replacement.
More information
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is more concerned with government immunization information systems.
SOURCES: Dr. William Schaffner, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Infectious Disease Division, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn .; Amesh Adalja, MD, senior scientist, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Baltimore; CBS News
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