Protect your vaccination card – you will need it

Your most precious travel accessory this summer will probably be a small piece of white paper.

Some destinations and cruise lines are already asking travelers to provide proof that they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Other companies, like Krispy Kreme, provide freebies and other benefits to people who can prove they have been vaccinated.

If you are one of the 47 million Americans who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the only proof that you have received your Covid vaccines is usually your paper vaccination record with the CDC logo in the top corner.

The vaccination record tells you what Covid-19 vaccine you received, when you received it, and where you received it – but this information is not stored in any centralized and easily searchable database.

If you lose your card, you must return to the place where you received your vaccination and request a replacement. “If you do not receive a Covid-19 vaccination card during your appointment, contact the site of the vaccination provider where you were vaccinated or your health department to find out how you can obtain a card,” says the CDC website.

It’s fairly easy if you’ve been vaccinated at a drugstore chain, but more difficult if you had to travel interstate or interstate to get vaccinated.

Digital vaccine passports may become a reality in the future, but for now, your paper vaccination record will be an extremely valuable commodity. Here are four easy ways to protect it to keep it safe.

Have your CDC vaccination record laminated.

Laminating your vaccination card will make it more durable and protect it from tear, wear or damage. Your card should be laminated after being fully immunized, and then kept in your wallet or purse.

You can laminate your card yourself with self-adhesive lamination sheets available at most big box stores as well as at Walmart and Target.

But an even simpler and cheaper option is to have a professional laminate your vaccination card for you. Staples is offering free lamination of vaccination cards until May 1. Office Depot, which also owns Office Max, will laminate vaccination cards free of charge for all fully vaccinated people until July 25.

Take a photo of your CDC vaccination record.

“Keep your immunization card in case you need it for future use,” the CDC website explains. “Consider taking a photo of your immunization card as a backup copy.”

You should store an image of your Covid-19 vaccination record in your photo library or digital wallet on your smartphone, where it can be easily retrieved.

Additionally, email yourself a copy of the image and download it to your computer or laptop. This way you will have a copy of it on your phone and another on a second device. This will be useful if you plan to book travel or other activities that require you to attach documents proving that you have been vaccinated.

Request a digital backup of your vaccination card.

If you have been vaccinated at a pharmacy chain, ask if you can have a digital copy of your vaccination record.

“Walgreens keeps digital copies of patient immunization records and can verify immunization status on behalf of patients in the event a dose card is lost or damaged,” said Erin Loverher, spokesperson for Walgreens. “We are also exploring a number of ways to improve the customer experience with vaccines, including a digital dose card and tracker.”

In the not too distant future, customers who get vaccinated at Walmart will also be able to check their status with a branded smartphone app. “Our goal is to give customers vaccinated at Walmart free and secure digital access to their immunization records and enable them to share this information with third parties seeking to confirm their immunization status,” said John Furner, CEO and President of Walmart US, in a statement.

Store your vaccination card on an app.

Many digital ID apps let you store digital versions of health records, including an immunization record, on your phone, but choosing one with strict privacy controls is paramount. One popular option is Airside’s Digital Identity & Health Passport app, which stores data only on the user’s encrypted device and allows users to control not only who they want to share their information with, but also for how long. of time.

How you choose to save your vaccination record is up to you. Just be sure to keep multiple copies – the hard copy and one digital copy – to make sure you can access them in most situations and from multiple devices.

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