Good Question: Do we still need proof of our vaccinations, and how can we keep track of our shots?
MINNEAPOLIS — It's another step forward in our journey with COVID-19. The CDC will no longer distribute vaccination cards. It won't maintain vaccination records either.
Will we still need proof, and how can we keep track of our shots? Good Question.
We're long removed in Minnesota from needing to brandish our COVID vaccination cards - much like a driver's license - to get into places like concert venues and restaurants.
"I probably haven't show the card for at least a year and a half," said Craig as he walked across the Stone Arch Bridge with a friend. "The paper really was a reaction to how quick we needed to have some documentation," added Randall.
Now, that step is mainly reserved for getting your next COVID-19 shot. Even then the physical card isn't necessary.
"It's not a requirement and providers will not be expecting to see that," said Miriam Muscoplat who works at the Minnesota Department of Health.
How would someone keep track of their vaccination records? "Certainly the healthcare provider that administers a vaccine will have that record," she said, adding that patients can often see the records in a digital portal through their healthcare provider. Some clinics even have their own app based programs that keep records.
"States like Minnesota also have an immunization information system," said Muscoplat.
It's called the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection, aka MIIC. Muscoplat is MIIC's operations supervisor.
The confidential system stores vaccination records. You can request your information online or quickly access it through an app called Docket.
"Probably the easiest is to use Docket,a cell phone app that will connect directly to MIIC and securely show you your own immunization history or your dependents," she said.
The app connects you with all vaccination records, not just for COVID-19. It also includes records for your children and dependents.
When might people need to show proof of vaccination going forward? "Common scenarios for needing prove immunization history are for employment in some cases, education, going to school, child-care, going to camp, that kind of thing," she said. "We're seeing COVID-19 vaccinations shift to a more routine, a more routine vaccine."
"It seems like it's going to be a yearly thing. You get your flu vaccine, you get your booster and you're ready to take on October [and] November in Minnesota," one woman told WCCO.
Across the St. Croix River, patients can keep track of their records with the Wisconsin Immunization Registry. It works like Minnesota's online system. However, there is not a cellphone app that connects to it.