The golden ticket to a post-pandemic world is a blow to the arm – and weak proof of the paper.
With nearly a quarter of Americans now vaccinated against COVID-19, people are increasingly wondering what to do with their vaccine card. The small but vital documentation serves as the only physical proof that many now have that they have been vaccinated against the new virus, and a growing industry of post-vax creators is rushing to supply the market with holders to protect the books. Others offer to laminate or digitize them.
Here’s a guide to what you need to know before you finally cover your plastic card, buy a cover, or, unfortunately, have the misfortune to lose it.
Should I laminate my vaccine card?
The office supplies behemoths Staples, Office Depot and Office Max have all offered to offer their free lamination services in the name of permanently wrapping vaccine cards in a thin layer of protective plastic. But is it a good idea to laminate your card?
The health department has no official perspective, but some warn that you may regret laminating your card if there is a need to mark it with a booster shot, which is an extra dose of vaccine after the initial dose.
“A lot of people are laminating, but there is also the possibility that booster photos may be needed,” New York Department of Health Committee Adviser and Chairman Mark Levine told Slate. “So some people have advised you to leave on the roll, in case you have to write a third meeting there. In fact, Dr. [Anthony] Fauci said it is possible that in six to 12 months, we will only ask people to receive a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna, as opposed to a booster shot, as this may be enough to handle the threat of variants. . ”
Where can I buy a vaccine card protector?
For those looking for a more reversible form of protection than lamination, the internet has quickly become saturated with accessible cases for vaccine cards. Only Amazon has a multitude of options, from a pack of two “boxes” of clear vinyl plastic that comes with a clip, to an option in the style of “badge card holder” or a case that comes in eight options. different color, all of which cost less than $ 10 each.
What to do if you lose your vaccine card
The fact that you received the vaccine is stored in larger databases, not just on that piece of paper. If you lose it, the CDC recommends that you contact the state health department or pharmacy where you received the shot to see if I can print a replacement record for you – but do not contact the CDC: it does not have information about the vaccination record.
And soon, paper registration may be relevant only as a strange physical sign of the pandemic: vaccine passports, including the New York State Excelsior Pass, allow residents to keep easily accessible digital records of their vaccine status so they can enter certain places and businesses.
What you need to know about digital vaccine cards
In addition to government vaccine passports, other private companies are launching their own digital vaccination certificates, including GoGetVax’s VaxYes.
The CDC has also created an application, called V-Safe, to serve as a post-vaccination health checker. V-Safe does not serve as a digital record of vaccination, but as a kind of survey to assess the side effects of the vaccine.