More than 70% of Americans now receive at least One dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
After the first shot, you should receive a COVID vaccine card. This is a small white record card issued by the CDC (CDC).
Just like childhood immunization records, your COVID-19 vaccination card records your vaccination status and reminds you when you will be vaccinated next time.
It will include useful information for health care providers, including the vaccine you received, batch number, date, and location of the vaccine. This can be a quick way to ensure you get the correct second dose.
What if I lose my vaccine card?
Although your vaccine card is your only official personal record, it is not the only place to record your vaccine history, because all your vaccinations are recorded electronically.
If you lose your card, CDC recommends that you first contact the vaccine supplier who received your first shot.Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Health and Safety Center, told ABC News they may be able to produce a replacement card.
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If you cannot reach them, please contact the Immunization Information System (IIS) of your state health department.
All vaccine providers must share Covid-19 vaccination records with IIS in your state. You can find the detailed contact information for each state’s IIS on the CDC website.
You may have chosen to join the VaxText or V-Safe program after the first dose. If so, these can help you obtain information about the two doses, but they cannot be used as an official record of the vaccination status.
The former is a free SMS service that will send reminders in English or Spanish every week when your second injection expires or expires.
To participate, you need to provide basic vaccine information, including the name of the vaccine and the date of the first dose, so if you lose your card, you can access your vaccination information through this service after registration.
V-Safe is CDC’s vaccine safety monitoring system. It is a smartphone-based tool that uses personalized surveys to check if you experience any side effects, and it can also remind you of the next appointment.
If you have made every effort to obtain a replacement or copy of the vaccine card, but still need a second shot, please consult your vaccination provider.
How can I keep my vaccine card safe?
CDC recommends that you take a photo of the vaccine card on your phone in case you misplace the hard copy. To ensure that it will not be hidden in your camera roll, you can add it to a custom photo album to make it easier to find.
Before sharing with anyone or your social media feed, please note that your vaccine card contains sensitive personal information, such as your name, date of birth, vaccination location, and batch number. Hackers may use this information to steal your identity.
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Although sticking the card looks like a good idea, it means that the healthcare provider cannot write down any other useful information, such as whether you need a booster injection. In July, Vaccine maker Pfizer promotes potential third dose of vaccine.
Currently, there are no guidelines that mean that you need to carry the vaccine card with you at all times, so it is best to keep it in a safe place.
Dr. Shideh Shafie, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Brown University, told Health: “I put my passport and my passport together, and put the card in a place where things such as contracts, social security cards or birth certificates are stored, which makes a lot of sense. “
There are free apps available that allow you to upload scanned copies of vaccine cards, such as Clear, VaxYes, and Airside, and some states now provide access to digital health records, including California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and Utah.
Some vaccine suppliers, such as Walmart and CVS Digital records are also provided to recipients.
Weekly newspaper The CDC has been contacted for comments.
