covid-19 vaccine

What You Should Do If You Lost or Damaged Your COVID-19 Vaccine Card

Here is who individuals should contact if they need to get a new copy of proof of their COVID vaccinations, according to the CDC

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Though legislation in Texas restricts vaccine requirements, you may need to prove you've had a COVID-19 vaccine if you travel out of state or if you plan to take a cruise. So, what do you do if you've lost or damaged your vaccine card?

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have its logo on COVID vaccination cards, it does not readily have the information available to print off new ones. Instead, state health departments and health providers will, and that’s where the search for a new card should begin.

Here is who individuals should contact if they need to get a new copy of proof of their COVID vaccinations, according to the CDC. The very first step that individuals should take if they lose or damage their cards, or if they never received a card, is to contact the health care provider that administered the shot.

Health Care Providers

Many companies, including CVS and Walgreens, will keep records of those vaccinations and can help individuals get new cards. Other providers, including hospitals that run mass vaccination clinics, may also be able to help.

State Information Systems

The CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services say your first stop should be the provider who gave you the shot. If you visited a temporary vaccination hub, here’s where to start your search. Information on Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties can be found in this article.

The Texas DSHS said all providers will have access to their vaccination records through the state registry, ImmTrac2.

People should go to either their original provider or any other local provider and ask them to look up their record and either print the record out or fill out a new card for the patient.

If the person does not go to the original provider to receive their second dose, that new provider should also be able to look up the record through ImmTrac2.

Out-of-state vaccine registries

If you traveled outside Texas for a vaccine, here’s a list of each state vaccine registry to help start your search.

V-Safe or VaxText

If a person is in need of proof of vaccination to receive a second or third dose of COVID vaccine, then the V-Safe and VaxText programs can also help.

Those programs, designed to obtain information on how individuals have fared after receiving their vaccines, will also have vaccination information available to individuals who signed up, according to the CDC.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released some ways to help stay safe from COVID-19 this holiday season

Something to Remember

Officials do warn individuals that they may not receive a paper card to replace the one that has been lost or damaged. Some states only provide digital COVID vaccination proof, but those policies differ by state, and individuals should contact their health departments for more information.

Some people would rather quit their jobs than get a COVID-19 vaccine, and make arguments about freedom or choice when declining a shot. But we have had mandatory vaccinations in schools and different industries for decades that did not generate significant protest, says Dr. Alok Patel. "Where were all of these people over the last 20 years?" he asks.
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