I still have my original vaccine card with all my vaccine updates... a great keepsake of our prior times, but after my 6 separate trips to various countries in Europe these past 2 years, I have never been asked to show it.
for my upcoming trip, in an effort to purge my wallet, I'm thinking of leaving it home.
does anyone know if these cards are still important to carry in person?
Posted by
Chicago
8361 posts
You are always responsible for reviewing the entry requirements for wherever you're traveling. Also when I worked for an airline, we would sometimes have to check if a certain travelers had the proper immunizations for wherever they were required.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8462 posts
No place in Europe is going to request evidence of vaccination. Leave it at home. Only for Covid were there restrictions in place, those have lapsed long ago.
Posted by
West Coast
283 posts
I didn't bring mine last month, for the first time. (I've had so many Covid vaccines I have 2 cards plus some sticky hanging off parts so it's definitely bulky!) Does your county keep records?
If not, your immunization record from your physician would also work. I have a county version that lists them all saved to my phone's wallet. That seems like a good compromise?
(Caveat: check what's required, as previously suggested, for your specific destination.)
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
8939 posts
I haven’t brought mine with me since 2023. I don’t see the need for it.
Posted by
Freedonia
16994 posts
As of now, there is no country in Europe requiring you to prove you've been vaccinated.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
9141 posts
Just as a matter of convenience, I keep my immunization records ( including yellow fever) tucked in my passport case. I don’t expect to use them, but I always know where they are.
Posted by
West Michigan
268 posts
I've scanned all my vaccination records (from Covid, from my Pharmacy, from my healthcare account). I keep the scans in a directory in my phone and laptop. My wife and I have all of each other's medical info in each other's phones as a backup. After reading this thread, I'll stop carrying the covid cards in my passport folder.
I think it's a good idea to carry printouts or scanned copies of all my vaccinations in case I have a medical issue, and need to know when I last got each vaccination.
Posted by
Ohio
2174 posts
I take the card(s). Nobody has asked to see them since 2022 but I’m prepared, just in case!
Posted by
Western Canada
3749 posts
Does your local health authority have online records for its patients to access?
Maybe that’s only in Canada.
On ours, you can make a very secure profile, then access every medication, test, hospital stay and vaccine you have ever had , in detail, going back years.
So no need to carry paper cards anymore.
Posted by
Chicago
103 posts
While I don't think it's necessary to carry the covid vaccination card, my record of vaccinations is stored in my Apple wallet.