By DEVI SHASTRI AP Health Writer
It’s the end of an era for a once-critical pandemic document: The ubiquitous white COVID-19 vaccination cards are being phased out.
Since the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer distribute COVID-19, they have stopped printing the cards.
According to the latest data available from the CDC, the federal agency shipped over 980 million cards in the period between the end of 2020, when vaccines first became available, and May 10, 2019.
The COVID-19 vaccine record card is a CDC-approved document. (The Star-Ledger, file)
Federal and local health officials don’t expect the discontinuation of the cards to be a particularly big change, since the days of keeping them tucked in purses and wallets to ensure entry into festivals, bars and restaurants are largely over. If you’ve held on to your card, it’s still valid as proof of vaccination. Those who require their COVID-19 vaccination records must request them, just as they would any other vaccine.
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In most cases, the clinic or pharmacy that administered the vaccine can provide the records. There are immunization registries in every state and many cities. However, the rules and procedures for getting copies of these records vary.
Many states provide digital records of vaccinations for individuals online or via an app. Users can store a certificate of vaccination or QR code to prove their status. And some websites will even track and alert patients when they’re due for another one.
As for your old card — if you still have it — maybe don’t mail it off to the Smithsonian quite yet. Heidi Gurov is a nurse consultant at the Wyoming Department of Health. She said you should store it just like any other record of your health.
“It’s always good to keep those in a safe spot,” she said.
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CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen announced Wednesday that four million Americans have now received the COVID-19 vaccination since its approval last month. A total of 10,000,000 doses has been shipped to healthcare providers.