More than 100 million Americans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. Proof? A “vaccination record paper” on 4 x 3-inch paper issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In a post-pandemic world, that humble card for those who are fully vaccinated could become an important document used for travel, attending events, returning to the post-pandemic office, and other purposes. At least a dozen colleges and universities they have already announced that they will ask students to be immunized before returning to campus in the fall. Companies are currently weighing whether they will require employees and customers to present proof of vaccination as a condition of employment or employment.
In the meantime, here’s what experts say you should know about vaccination cards.
Photograph the registration card
The first thing experts recommend once you’ve been vaccinated is to take a digital photo of both sides of your personal registration card. You can also scan the card and save the file to a laptop or desktop, said Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Rhode Island Hospital and an associate professor at Brown University.
One thing you shouldn’t do: Share your personal proof of inoculation on Facebook or other social networking sites, which could lead to identity theft, as the CDC card includes a person’s date of birth, such as and first and last name.
“I wouldn’t post it on social media with my birthday. It’s a unique identifier that could allow someone to steal your identity, so I’d pay attention to that first,” said epidemiologist Danielle Ompad, a professor at The NYU School of Global Public Health told CBS MoneyWatch.
Instead, you may want to print a copy of the vaccination card photo and keep it in your wallet. While some experts advise not to laminate the original card so that vaccine booster photos can be added if this becomes necessary, others say it’s OK because a more sophisticated record-keeping system is likely to be rolled out. implemented until then.
“I would laminate it because by the time a booster appears, the technology will have evolved,” suggested Dr. Maureen Miller, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
You can get your laminated card for free at the Staples office supplies store using code 81450 or at Office Depot code 52516714.
Leave the original at home
Make sure you keep the original copy of your vaccine card in a safe place – you don’t need to keep it on your person at all times and you risk losing it. Experts recommend keeping the original with other important documents or medical records and carrying only the digital copy.
“You don’t have to be transported at any time right now unless you’re traveling or doing something else where you have to provide proof of vaccination,” Ranney said.
Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said he keeps his immunization record in his passport (along with a card showing he has been vaccinated against yellow fever).
Tell your primary care doctor that you have received the vaccine, as you would any other inoculation. This helps healthcare providers to ensure that immunization records are kept up to date.
Not everyone followed the advice of experts to store vaccination records in a safe place. University of Illinois gymnast Evan Manivong recently caught a perfect landing during a safe contest – and celebrated by taking out the vaccine book tucked into her T-shirt and throwing it at the audience. “Go vaccinate everyone!” The 20-year-old advertising major later tweeted. Videos with the magic moment went viral this week.
What happens if I lose him?
If you lose your card, don’t panic. Each time a vaccine is given, the provider registers it in the state’s immunization registry.
“Those fragile pieces of paper are not the only records of your vaccination status,” Adalja said. “People should keep their books safe so they have them at hand, but it’s not the end of the world if they lose it or go through the washing machine.”
If you lose your card, call the state health department and request a replacement.
“Right now this is what we have as proof that you have received the vaccine, but it is not impossible to replace,” said Dr. Christine Whelan, a clinical professor of consumer science at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
For now, Whelan said, simple CDC white papers may have more symbolic value than practical function.
“Other countries do not give pieces of paper as we are and this can be a strange thing we do. There is something satisfying about leaving with the card copy file just in case,” she said.
No universal standard – yet
President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said this week that the US government will not mandate the so-called vaccine passports for travel and other business activities. Anything that looks like a digital switch is likely to be developed by the private sector, he added.
Some experts complain that the government did not develop a standardized digital proof of vaccination earlier.
“I think the US government should have thought of a digital application from the beginning and had it ready to work so that it would activate when a person received a vaccine,” Adalja said. “Now we have to strive to come up with a digital and secure solution so that people don’t have to worry about carrying that book.”
Ideally, the vaccination status would be integrated and stored with other personal travel information that is reflected in programs such as Global Entry and TSA PreCheck that facilitate the travel process through airport security.
Beware of faux vax books
Scammers also capitalize on the low-tech record system. Hundreds of fraudsters they sell fake versions of the vaccine cards issued by the CDC through e-commerce platforms, including eBay, Etsy and Shopify, according to Saoud Khalifah, CEO of Fakespot, which uses artificial intelligence to warn consumers about online retail scams.
Kindness Fakespot
Scam cards are promoted for about $ 20 per pop and are also offered in bulk. The deception is unleashed in the open air. Fakespot has identified hundreds of Facebook pages and eBay listings that offer “vax cards” and “unfilled vaccine cards” for people who may not have been vaccinated yet.
“He introduced this new dynamic into society, where people can fake immunity and replace it with a fake card. It’s a new concept we’ve never seen before,” Khalifah told CBS MoneyWatch.
Khalifah suspects that some buyers of fake cards are anti-vaxxers who do not intend to immunize themselves, but still want the access that the card offers.
The FBI has warned that such schemes violate federal laws that prohibit the unauthorized use of the seal of an official government agency, including the CDC seal. Fraudulent use of an official federal seal is an offense punishable by up to five years in prison.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and a group of bipartisan attorneys general called on the e-commerce site OfferUp this week to counter illegal sale of empty and counterfeit material COVID-19 vaccination registration cards. This type of fraud endangers public health, according to Stein.
“These cards will make more people sick with more variants of the virus and kill more people, as the pandemic takes longer to control,” he told CBS MoneyWatch. “If you don’t get the vaccine, it means that more people will be infected with variants and that threatens everyone’s health.”
The race for digital passports and other solutions
As Fauci suggested, private companies are already developing ways in which people can show that they have been vaccinated or that they do not have coronavirus. For example, the New York authorities are testing a digital health permit powered by blockchain technology in partnership with computer company IBM.
“The goal is to finally provide New York residents with a simple, voluntary and safe way to show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination certification,” IBM said in a news release last month. .
New York State
New York recently piloted the so-called Excelsior Pass with the Brooklyn Nets at one of the home games of the National Basketball Association team at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. It will also be tested in theaters and other venues as more New Yorkers are vaccinated.
“Excelsior Pass will play a key role in transmitting information to locations and sites in a secure and streamlined manner, allowing us to accelerate the reopening of these businesses and bring us one step closer to reaching a new normal,” the governor said. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement last month.
Vaccine management company VaxAtlas has also launched a consumer application to securely store vaccination registration cards.
“Verification will soon be a requirement for travel, work, places, even schools and each state may have different rules and guidelines. We need a centralized system to ensure that vaccinations and certificates are not lost and that personal information is stored safely, “said VaxAtlas CEO Judi Korzec.
Relieving anxiety
VaxYes is another tool that provides HIPAA compliant digital vaccine records for inoculated individuals. The company’s CEO, Mohammed Gaber, expects the product to be initially used mostly in the tourism sector.
“I personally went through the maxims of getting both the vaccine doses and the minimal thoughts and fears that I had lost my card. Everyone will have anxiety around this card and how to protect it,” Gaber said.
VaxYes has collaborated with various US states and organizations, including Kansas, which is testing the tool to allow residents to return to shows and other events. So far, thousands of Americans have digitized their paper cards through VaxYes, according to the company.
“People are already starting to think about summer travel plans and see this as a facilitator to get back to normal and resume travel activities,” Gaber said. “We are very excited to be part of the solution.”