- When you receive the vaccine against COVID-19, you will be provided with a vaccination card.
- It is important to keep this card because it will serve several important purposes in the future.
- It is recommended to take a photo or scan the card and keep the original in a safe place.
- If you lose your card, you can get a replacement card.
When you receive the COVID-19 vaccine, you will be provided with a vaccination card as documentation.
The card will contain your name and date of birth, the vaccine manufacturer and batch number, as well as where the vaccine was given and the date the vaccine was given.
The card will also indicate if and when you need to take a reinforcement test again.
In addition to serving as a reminder of when to return to the next vaccine, there are several other important reasons to keep the vaccine card.
Sarah E. Lynch, pharmacist, pharmacist and faculty of pharmacy at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, said one of the important reasons for keeping the vaccine card is the possibility that you may experience an adverse event.
If the event is related to a specific vaccine batch number, having this information will establish the connection between what you are experiencing and the vaccine batch you received.
With the card, you will also know when you received your last dose if it turns out that future booster doses are needed.
S. Wesley Long, a researcher at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, added that knowing what vaccine he received could influence the composition of any future reinforcements he might receive.
In addition, Long noted that you may need vaccination tests for travel, work, school, volunteering, or activities as we move forward.
Nicole J. Hassoun, MA, Ph.D., professor of philosophy at Binghamton University, said that in addition to providing short-term vaccination evidence, vaccination cards can become the basis of immunity passports, of the documents that will be needed to access public spaces and travel.
And there may be some added benefits to having a copy of the card on hand.
“Some companies offer discounts for vaccinated people,” Long said, “so you may need a copy or photo of your card to take advantage of them.”
“Because you’re unlikely to need the card on a day-to-day basis,” Long said, “I would first take a picture and / or scan the card and then place it in a safe and secure place.”
“Some people have suggested laminating the cards, but they can’t be updated with information in the future, such as receiving a booster shot,” he added.
Lynch suggested taking a photo of the front and back card and keeping it on your mobile device is a good way to keep it always.
He also noted that some states submit digital vaccine passport applications.
“These will allow you to record card information in a digital app that can be easily accessed from a mobile device and share it at events where documentation is required, eliminating the need to carry the physical card,” Lynch explained .
If you lose your card, don’t worry. The information is not gone forever.
In general, you should be able to contact the clinic or agency where the vaccination was administered to get a duplicate record, Long said.
In addition, this information should have been shared with your state’s immunization record, so it’s possible to get immunization evidence for your state.
Keeping the vaccine card in a safe place simply ensures that you have it readily available if and when you need it.