Yahoo Autos What to do if you lose your COVID-19 vaccine card
COVID-19 vaccine cards remind recipients when to get a second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
The CDC recommends taking a photo of vaccine cards as a backup, but avoid posting them online.
Go back to where you got inoculated if you misplace your paper card.
Millions of newly inoculated Americans are walking home with paper vaccine cards containing crucial information about their COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC-issued COVID-19 vaccine cards serve as reminders for when to get a second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
The card also works as proof that you've gotten your shot. In some states, that piece of paper that doesn't quite fit in most wallets will double as a pass to dine at restaurants, go to the gym, or see indoor performances.
What happens if you lose the small paper card? You can still get a second dose, but the CDC recommends taking a photo of the card upon receiving it for your own records. (Remember not to share photos of your vaccine card on social media.)
Here's everything to know about your COVID-19 vaccine card:
What are COVID-19 vaccine cards?
The Trump administration designed the cards as ways to remind vaccine recipients when to get a second dose. Recipients or their vaccine providers write when they got the first dose and what shot they received on the cards.
The Moderna vaccine requires two doses taken four weeks apart, and the Pfizer vaccine requires two shots three weeks apart. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires just one dose.
The US designed the card system to encourage vaccine recipients to show up for second doses, as some studies show a significant number of women did not return to get second doses of the human papillomavirus vaccine. A recent CDC study showed the vast majority of COVID-19 vaccine recipients are returning for second doses.
Though one shot of Pfizer and BioNTech can significantly reduce risk of catching infection, the body takes weeks to build immunity. Data from rigorous trials suggested the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines provide near 100% protection against hospitalization and death, but only when participants followed the two-shot protocol.
