Lose Or Damage Your COVID Vaccine Card? Here's What To Do
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- No vaccine side effects for Minneapolis resident Jane Kaley. Just that 4-by-3 inch slip of paper proving she got the COVID-19 vaccine.
"I knew the Band-Aid was on my arm and that was about it," Kaley said.
Her husband decided to laminate the cards.
"So he took the card and off he went and came home and said, 'Well do you want to know the good news or the bad news?' And then he showed me my card," Kaley said.
When her husband laminated the card, it turned the sticker label with her name on it black. The person working at the store told her husband that he's seen it happen before.
"He said, 'Oh, that's like a thermal label, you shouldn't do those," Kaley said.
It's a good idea to take a picture of your card front and back as a digital backup, and to keep the card with your medical records in a safe place.
But is it a good idea to post your card online? The Minnesota Department of Health says if you do post, cover up private information, like your date of birth. If you ruin or lose your card, don't panic. The state keeps track, so that paper thing isn't the only record.
Though Allina Health tells WCCO the cards come with the vaccine supplies, so they will give you a new one if they have enough. If not, they can print out a patient's medical record. So start by asking the place where you got your shot. If that doesn't work, reach out to the state here for a new copy of your vaccine records.
MDH says you can laminate your card if you want to, but wait until you're fully vaccinated so providers can update the card after your second dose. MDH also says if you're from Minnesota and were vaccinated in the state, you do not need to contact your health provider to let them know you've been vaccinated. It will be entered into the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC), a system providers use to update patient records.