What to Do With Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card

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COVID-19 vaccination ID cards are something everyone needs to hold on to and keep safe. They will, in many places, allow you to travel to other states, get you into large events, and may become even more important if proof of vaccination will become necessary to get a passport in the future.

Vaccination cards are nothing new. They have been around since the plague came calling in 1897, according to a story on NPR’s website. During the World Wars, they were especially important to the military and those in internment camps ensuring that diseases like smallpox, typhus, and yellow fever were kept under control.

Here are a few things everyone needs to know about the current COVID-19 vaccination ID card.

1. While you should be proud that you got your shot. Do not show your card in a selfie! These online photos are being used to create counterfeit cards. These are growing in popularity on the black market for many who do not want a shot, but know that having proof of getting a shot is and will become more important. Vaccination cards have personal information as well as the brand of vaccine received and the lot number. Taking this information off a social media photo is like stealing your identity, says the American Medical Association (AMA).

2. Lamination of your card is a No No. As booster shots have begun to be administered to certain populations, this information will need to go on your vaccination ID Card. Once laminated, the paper card can no longer be written on. The AMA suggests using a convention name badge holder to keep your card intact.

3. Make a copy of your card. It would be a good idea to make a photocopy to put in with your medical records file at home, if you still keep paper files, take a photo to keep on your phone, and make sure to let your doctor know you have received your vaccine. You might even give him or her a copy of your card for their files.

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