covid vaccine

What You Should Do If You Lost or Damaged Your COVID 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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A growing number of establishments and employers are requiring individuals to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status, but as the months pass following the appointments to get the shots, what do individuals have to do if they end up losing or damaging their cards?

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.

Health Care Providers

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.

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

State Information Systems

If you are unable to contact your provider, then the California Department of Public Health should be able to help through the California Immunization Registry. Vaccination providers are required by law to report COVID-19 vaccinations to the registry and other systems. California also rolled out its digital vaccine card system months ago and highly encourages residents to use it. Here's an FAQ with everything you need to know to carry a digital version everywhere you go on your phone. Or, if you want a paper card, just print that digital version.

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 TaxText 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.

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Other Options

If all else fails, individuals can contact their local health departments for more information on how to proceed if a card is lost or damaged.

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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