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- COVID-19 vaccine cards remind recipients when to receive a second dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
- The CDC recommends taking a photo of the vaccine cards as a backup, but avoid posting them online.
- Return to where you were vaccinated if you misplace your paper card.
- Visit Insider’s Business section for more stories.
Millions of newly vaccinated Americans return home with paper vaccine cards containing crucial information about their COVID-19 vaccine.
The paper-based COVID-19 vaccine cards issued by the CDC serve as reminders to know when to get a second dose of Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. The CDC does not collect information on who received COVID-19 vaccines, which means that the paper card also serves as proof that you received your vaccine.
What happens if you lose the little paper map? You can always get a second dose, but the CDC recommends taking a photo of the card when you receive it.
Here’s everything you need to know about your COVID-19 vaccine card:
What are COVID-19 vaccine cards?
The Trump administration designed the cards as a way to remind vaccinees when to receive a second dose. Recipients or their vaccine providers write when they received the first dose and what injection they received on the cards.
The Moderna vaccine requires two doses four weeks apart, and the Pfizer vaccine requires two injections three weeks apart.
The United States designed the card system to encourage vaccinees to show up for the second doses, as some studies show a significant number of women have not returned to receive second doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine, which protects against cervical cancer.
While the unique solution from Pfizer and BioNTech can dramatically reduce the risk of getting an infection, the body takes weeks to build immunity. Rigorous trial data suggests Moderna and Pfizer vaccines provide almost 95% protection against mild COVID-19 and 100% protection against hospitalization and death, but only when participants have followed the two-way protocol. doses.
Why do you need COVID-19 vaccination cards?
The Centers for Disease Control does not collect information about vaccines when Americans go to get vaccinated; paper chart information does not go into an online CDC database.
Therefore, vaccination cards can serve as proof that you have been vaccinated at least once. Many states have their own systems for tracking when patients receive vaccines, just as hospitals, clinics and other organizations store information about vaccines, a CDC spokesperson told McClatchy News.
Some companies are looking for ways to use proof of vaccines to enable better opening protocols. The International Air Transport Association, or the trade association of international airlines, is working on ways to digitize vaccine cards. Nick Careen, senior vice president of IATA, told The Points Guy that paper vaccine cards are easy to forge, but digital versions can help the airline industry reopen.
What happens when you lose a COVID-19 card?
The federal government suggests taking a photo of your vaccine card in case it gets lost, the Better Business Bureau has warned not to post the photos on social media. The BBB, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, reported that fraudsters tried to sell fraudulent vaccine cards online.
The card also contains personal information that hackers can use to gain access to your accounts, the BBB said.
The CDC recommends using V-safe, a free tool that can send reminders about when to receive a second dose. V-safe, which requires a smartphone, does not help you schedule appointments for vaccines.
If you misplace the card without creating a backup, Amesh Adalja, a senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told ABC News to go back to where you had a photo and request a replacement. . Knowing the manufacturer (Moderna or Pfizer) and the recommended time for your second injection is imperative to lowering your risk of infection, AARP said.
And, if you can, keep your card after you get a second dose in case authorities decide to use them for other purposes, like schools, said Crystal Tubbs, associate director of pharmacy at Ohio State. University, at Good Housekeeping.
“Not all medical record systems ‘talk’ to each other, so this card serves as a backup of the most important information,” Tubbs said.
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