You may not want to laminate your COVID-19 vaccine card after all – here’s why

ORLANDO, Fla. – It only takes a few rolls on your favorite social platform to know that people are proud to be the owners of COVID-19 vaccination cards nowadays.

Cards are as special as a gold ticket for some and should therefore be treated as such.

To help keep the cards in top condition in the long run, some stores have offered to laminate them for free, but accordingly CBS news, some health officials warn that you may want to think twice before doing this, especially if you have opted for a two-shot vaccine.

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Not only can the card be damaged or the ink become illegible in the process, the network reports, but both Pfizer and Moderna require two doses, while Johnson & Johnson’s blow is a definite situation.

Regardless of the shot you choose, you will receive a vaccination card courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as soon as you are first inoculated.

The card includes personal information – which is why experts have advised you not to post photos online – as well as details about your photo, such as when and where you received it, the vaccine manufacturer, and the batch number.

I know, you’re excited because you’ve been waiting for what it feels like forever for that extra layer of protection against COVID-19. You are proud of that book and want to keep it as long as possible, so going to the nearest Staples to be laminated might seem like what you need to do.

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But if you have received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you will definitely want to stop rolling, because your card will have to be updated in just a few weeks, when you return for the second dose.

If you choose to get J&J, you may not need a second shot, but with any of these vaccines, health officials have not ruled out the possibility of needing a booster shot on the road.

If and when booster photos are required, they will need to be added to your card.

So yes, keeping your card safe is important, especially since all the information it contains may be needed along the way.

But instead of something as permanent as laminating, you may want to consider storing the card in a transparent backing, just like the ones baseball card collectors use for storage. This way, you have the option to remove it whenever you need it, then back to safe.