Card care
What you should and shouldn't do with your COVID-19 vaccine receipt.
Article Date:
Many people have received it, snapped a selfie with it, and shown it off to friends with the same pride and enthusiasm they'd feel when sharing pictures of a new baby or pet. But what are you supposed to do with your COVID-19 vaccination card – that CDC-issued piece of paper you get when you receive the vaccine – now? And is there anything you shouldn’t do with it?
Nicole Blackwelder, PharmD, director of pharmacy for Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, shared advice every cardholder should know.
Do: Keep the card in a safe place.
“If you're a Florida resident, your physicians should have access to your vaccine record in Florida SHOTS, a statewide immunization database. Still, it’s a good idea to save the card and keep it in a secure place in case there are any issues accessing your record,” Blackwelder said.
Do: Bring the card to your second vaccination appointment.
The vaccination clinic will want to verify that you’ve returned at the appropriate date and time for your second dose.
Do: Take a photo of your card and store it in a safe place on your phone.
If you lose the original card, it’s helpful to have a digital copy you can reference and access easily.
Do: Pay attention to the news.
As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, guidance about what to do with your vaccination card might also change.
Do: Think twice before laminating your card.
If you need a booster shot down the road, your doctor’s office or vaccine clinic may need to add information to your card, which is hard to do when it’s laminated. Consider instead using a protective sleeve that allows you to pull the card out when needed, Blackwelder said.
Don’t: Post photos of your card on social media.
The card contains personal information like your name, birthday, and sometimes a medical record or ID number. When you share that information with the public, it could fall into the hands of hackers or identity thieves.
At Baptist Health, we want to help keep our community informed about COVID-19. For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, visit baptistjax.com/covid19vaccine. For questions about COVID-19 visit baptistjax.com/covid19.
