CDC Card Protectors

Thanks, Frank II. Another poster commented that laminating might not be the best idea, because there are spaces for more information on the card below the Covid vaccination data. Boosters, perhaps, or other vaccinations?

A protective sleeve or cover sounds like a better idea. Those that come with billfolds are possible, although I find they tend to shatter after a few years.

Thank you, Frank II. Ordered two of them for our Iceland trip. Now, watch a volcano ruin our plans.

And kudos to the marketing folks who are shifting from "ID Badge Holders" to "Vaccine Card Protectors"!

I agree with Jane...I'd not laminate as that is where any booster shots or whatnot will be recorded as well.

Thanks Frank. The other thing i did was to get notarized copies. For world travel you might look into an Apostille Service. Not saying either will work, but better than nothing.

For as often as one might need to 'use' the card, why not just use one of those resealable plastic bags in your kitchen drawer ?

Thanks Frank ll. I will be interested to hear your report once you receive the card protector.
In the meantime I thought of an alternative until I decide to purchase the product. I have plastic sleeves for recipe cards that I purchased many years ago. This will suffice in the short term. They fit perfectly. Funny thing, my husband & I received our vaccines from different locations. His CDC card is 4x5" and mine is the 3x4". His card is even too large for a snack size ziplock bag! I will search for a larger sleeve for his. You'd think they would have standardized the cards. A sandwich ziplock will also be fine.

In regards to laminating, I had mentioned in your previous thread that their is room to document 2 additional vaccines on the CDC card. So I will not laminate our cards.

Thanks Frank! We just got our second shot this morning, I’ll be ordering a couple protectors.

They're charging extra for the holes punched along the top, guys.

To be fair, the $6.99 price is for a quantity of 3.

I have a problem paying that much for plastic, but $20 for 50 isn't bad if you have a large family or circle of friends.

Are these the same guys who sell the antimagnetic covers to put over your magnetic credit cards?

Or are they the ones who sell the anti-NFC covers for your NFC card?

I took a photo of my card and have it stored on my phone and in the 'cloud'.

We laminated ours without problem. I have no problem having to carry an extra one with boosters. This would have been better though.

Thanks Frank II I ordered 10 for family and friends who are all wanting to travel as soon as we are able.

As a backup, we have the vaccination page from MyChart records (UCSF) as a screenshot. Not sure how well that will be accepted.
Joe32F -- a man after my own (cheap) heart.

Face shields started out for about $16. Now they're available at the dollar store. I expect immunization card protectors will make it there before I'll need one for travel. And the dollar store already sells ziploc bags 😁

You might need your card besides just for travel.

As an example, the Governor of New York announced that on April 1, outdoor venues for sports and performing arts may open to limited capacity. All fans and spectators must show either a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours or proof of vaccine. (The New York Yankees and New York Mets are now selling tickets following these guidelines.)

I wouldn't be surprised to see other areas do the same.

Thanks Frank, I will order mine today!

I'm with Ufkak
And you even have to provide yr own lanyard or shoestring to hang it from!!!!! At that price I'd expect at least that elastic string w metal ends you used to get w ID badges at yr more underfunded conventions

Thanks Frank, I ordered a handful for all of us for our Iceland trip.

I seriously Doubt it will ever become an issue for anyone....odds of it happening are NIL but fully understand that if your ever laminate a document you will be destroying it as an original document. It becomes impossible to verify original ink vs photocopy etc. I can’t foresee anyone being challenged for not having an original CDC vaccine card....but if you want to keep an original CDC vaccination card keep it far away from a lamination machine. Protective sleeve or a zip lock bag, great. Lamination-no.

$6.99 for 10 at Staples store. Not as fancy, but an option.

Another option from Amazon $9.99 for 10 https://www.amazon.com/KEYLION-Horizontal-Waterproof-Resealable-Multiple/dp/B06XVN1HDR/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=3x4+name+badge+holder&qid=1616519716&sr=8-5

These may be necessary now that Krispy Kreme is offering a free donut with proof of vaccination.😋

One fastBob, I’m not worried about having laminated my card. No one can read it anyway and we aren’t traveling until this Pandemic is under control.

@Stan, in addition to the Krispy Kreme incentive, I understand a local grocery chain is offering a $100 bonus to it’s employees with proof of vaccination.

Stan, Krispy Kreme is offering a free doughnut per day for a year with proof of vaccine (*at participating stores). I think a vaccine card protector sleeve may be valuable for some sticky fingered people 😉

Way ahead of you. We bought ours on Amazon not titled "CDC" cardholders-but they're the same thing. We got a pack of 10 for $10. Don't search for a CDC card holder, instead search for a 3x4 badge/id card holder, they'll be much cheaper. We're handing ours out to friends.

Stan, Krispy Kreme is offering a free doughnut per day for a year with proof of vaccine (at participating stores). I think a vaccine card protector sleeve may be valuable for some sticky fingered people 😉*

So instead of Covid you get diabetes.

I would wonder how long the Krispy Kreme promotion will last. There are already disgruntled rumblings of discrimination. Could a lawsuit be in the offing? Nothing surprises me any more. Safe travels and happy munching.

Just what Americans need--more donuts.

It's a three-fer: diabetes, obesity, and heart disease

BMWBGV, well "donut" spells freedom! I'll bet you wouldn't frown if it was a croissant or a krapfen😊.

The Card Protectors came today. I have a 3 x 4 card. It fit perfectly and can easily be removed if necessary but has a zip seal to keep it from falling out.

You should also look to see if your state has an immunization record database. Nevada has one, for instance, and anytime you get a vaccine in Nevada - whether for flu, COVID or anything else - the provider submits the information to the state database. Patients can access their records at anytime.

I had my first dose of the Moderna vaccine yesterday, and it's already showing up in my profile in the state database. An online database like this - maintained by the state - is much more reliable than an easily-forged CDC card and so if, in the future, someone were to ask for your vaccination records in order to travel you'd want to have a backup you can provide beyond just that CDC card.

My card protectors came this week. I’m having a bit of deja vu about print sticking to plastic sleeves when the paper has been in the plastic a long time (old conference tags, pictures). I’m rethinking leaving my card permanently in the plastic sleeve or just using it for travel. I am wondering if I need to slip a piece of acid free paper between the card and plastic. I know heat, light and pressure caused some failures for me in the past too. Since I have extra sleeves I may get a card that’s been voided and leave it in the plastic sleeve for a few months to see if the text transfers off on the interior of the sleeve. I wish I knew about the composition and quality of the sleeves I bought.

Mona- all of the above. There are stick free plastic sheet protectors out there...usually 8 1/2 x 11.

Sadly I think a bunch of you are WAY OVER thinking this. Just put your CDC card in a loose fitting sandwich baggie and store it with your passport. NO ONE is going to need it any time soon...International/EU/US standards for proving vaccine status are far from being set/established. Just put the card away, dry and warm, until something happens that really requires it’s existence beyond getting a free donut.

Maybe reconsider snack-size ziplocks. Or a layer of saran-type wrap.

Sadly I think a bunch of you are WAY OVER thinking this. Just put your CDC card in a loose fitting sandwich baggie and store it with your passport. NO ONE is going to need it any time soon...International/EU/US standards for proving vaccine status are far from being set/established. Just put the card away, dry and warm, until something happens that really requires it’s existence beyond getting a free donut.

I could go to Iceland tomorrow and they will accept my CDC card. Domestically, many states are now opening to people who have been vaccinated and not requiring them to quarantine. If I visit my family in NY, as I plan to do after April 1 when the state opens to vaccinated individuals, and I want to go to a Yankee or Met game, I will have to show proof of either full vaccination or negative covid test. The same holds for other gatherings.

Other states are now opening to those who have been vaccinated and not requiring them to quarantine.

It's not just for international travel. That Covid Card will probably open up quite a bit to us right here at home.

https://www.silive.com/coronavirus/2021/03/coronavirus-vaccination-cards-why-theyre-important-how-to-keep-them-safe.html

Frank II, for those of us not in the US, who or what are silive.com? Are they a news outlet?

Frank II— NO State in the US can require you to produce your original CDC card; the HIPPA issues are huge. There is NOT even a standard for the card. Some are completed in ink, others done with stickers, etc (mine is 50/50). Just take a picture of it and keep it on your phone AND if your really paranoid about it—make 10 photocopies of the card and keep them in your car glovebox or travel bag to hand out “as needed”.

Nigel- yes, Silive is a self appointed “news” outlet. The article is NON-Authorative, digital. (Think of the Metro found on your London Underground seat). Just an opinion piece telling folks to keep their CDC cards. Even the article tells you to photograph it, make a photocopy to carry around and keep your original safe. Just what we need, everyone carrying (and losing) their original cards from “mass shot clinics” that long longer exist (once a community is done they often shift locations/staff etc- people think that drive up shot clinic in a sports arena parking lot is gonna stay there forever?). Good luck tracking them down for replacement cards....

No, Onefast bob, I'm not off to Iceland tomorrow because I haven't gotten my second shot yet. But once I get that, and wait the obligatory two weeks afterward, I will be traveling.

New York asks all travelers to the state to fill out a health form. (You are exempt if you live in an adjoining state.) Here is the form:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-traveler-health-form&ved=2ahUKEwjuq9LZ3MzvAhW5RzABHRahBqIQFjABegQIBhAC&usg=AOvVaw3vGzCr8J2pRdl7gD92AFlf

You can't arrive in NY without having completed one.

Starting April 1, It will be revised to say those who can prove they have been fully vaccinated will not have to quarantine or supply a covid test. They will accept the Covid card.

Vermont has also said if you can prove you have gotten a full course of the Covid vaccine, you don't have to quarantine. They are accepting the CDC card.

Both are places I plan to visit this Spring.

If you're not interested in protecting your original card, that is your choice. I'm not sure if a photo or photocopy will suffice in some situations. (I will have both.) So I am doing my best to protect it. But why must you put down those who want to protect their cards just because you don't care to?

I am just getting mine laminated. Then, sliding it into my wallet alongside my credit cards, etc..
Capitalists are always developing new items to sell no matter what. And, that’s okay. Face masks anyone? All kinds of sanitizers and holders. You name it. Pandemic travel is game on!

Thanks Frank! Ordered ours today.

NO State in the US can require you to produce your original CDC card; the HIPPA issues are huge.

onefastbob, I am not clear why this would be a HIPAA issue. It would be a HIPAA violation if your medical provider revealed your personal health information to someone without your permission. However, you can reveal (or choose not to reveal) your own personal health information to anyone you choose.

Agreeing with Laura. HIPAA applies to health care providers, not patients or non-providers. If you voluntarily tell your neighbor about your medical condition, they can tell anyone they want. And there is a public health exception on collecting data. But the vaccination info is already in gov't hands. The CDC card you get isn't given directly by CDC - they just print them. The state and county or city health departments that pass them on to the providers, get the data on who has been vaccinated (from the sign-up process) in return. Thats how they keep track of statistics. And how they will contact people if there is a problem (thats why the type and batch data is collected). What's currently missing is a comprehensive system that links your card to a database for verification by third parties.

My evidence: when I got my shot, I got an email a day later, from the state health department confirming when and where I got the shot, dose, and an ID number.

And of course HIPAA doesn't apply to foreign entities.

Our card protectors came and I think they will be nice. Thank you:) If nothing else, they will be harder to misplace now. I have it tucked next to my passport.

Yup, Laura and Stan are right. Every time I have started work for a health care provider, as a condition of employment there have been things like TB testing and mandatory inoculations. I get documentation and of course my employer has copies because it takes place in their clinic. I am fine w employers requiring this to create a safer environment for patients and other employees

My H just got a request from V-safe for his passport number and photo. As we are presently not at a location to look into this further, I have no specifics. However as this is a CDC app. I am wondering if they are starting to develop a system for vaccination verification related to travel? Anyone else seen this?

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html

Wray's question does not seem to be addressed in what I can see, but at the bottom there are 'contact' options.

My H just got a request from V-safe for his passport number and photo.

Wray, that sounds very fishy. Make sure he used the correct website (vsafe.cdc.gov). The vsafe system is for info on vaccine side effects; it has nothing to do with travel.

Laura, You are right.

When we got home I checked and he'd downloaded the wrong app, not the CDC app. He'd not provided the info so no harm done. In fact it looks legitimate, but Euro related, not vaccine related. Should I delete my comment above?
I just got excited that there might have been a plan...

Regarding the importance of your CDC card or it's validity....

Both my wife and I have had our vaccinations and have our "cards". My wife's is one they printed on copy paper, she had the first shot at one Walgreens, the second at another. Her name, address (my daughter's since she was there during that time) and birthdate are handwritten in, as well as the Vaccine lot, date and location (sort of, kind of legible). Mine has the advantage of being an actual card, but I had to fill in most of my info. My wife also works in a pharmacy and administers and processes info on vaccines everyday.

To begin to think that the card is any proof of vaccine is laughable. The form can be printed out on any home printer, and the information is hardly secure in that you can make up about any of it with no problem. As reported in multiple news sources, there are a number of places selling fake cards...you don't even need to do that if you have a printer and a pen, and maybe an understanding of valid Lot Number format.

The gap right now, is the link from you to verified health records. That is where HIPA records apply. A card is nothing, but someone who can look at you, then have valid access to health records, just does not easily exist. Yes, you could be asked for your CDC card, and if they want to accept that, fine...but figure that if the Yankees all of a sudden say...hey you have to have a card to come to the game...who is that going to stop? They can not verify your card, just either accept or reject.

Laugh all you want but the CDC card is what some countries, some sports teams and Krispy Kreme accept.

You're worried about fakes? Good. How about all the fake Social Security Cards, Green Cards, Visas, etc that are easy to come by in any major city in the U.S if you know where to look.

We don't have any system that can print vaccination records for everyone. There is no consistent form to be used. And some states won't allow them. (Florida is trying to pass a law forbidding vaccine passports. )

Here is what Iceland is asking for as proof of vaccination since they are the first Schengen country to require vaccination:

https://www.landlaeknir.is/um-embaettid/greinar/grein/item44162/Certificate-of-vaccination-against-COVID-19-accepted-at-the-border

All of the information required is found on my CDC card.

https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/vaccine-card

FYI.... article that came up on my phone

Kim

On both of my trips to Europe over the past two years, I put important documents in Ziploc bags. I also have scanned copies that I can access easily on Google Drive in case the others are lost. I don't think it's necessary to buy a separate holder, but thank you for the idea! Good call on those who suggested not to laminate, I had thought to do that and I'm glad I saw this thread.

I agree with Jill. Double ziplocks will probably do the job.

Our county health center actually added the cards on to the “MyChart” app. You can also download the PDF of the vaccination info. It stays on my phone.

Cindy,

I have my vaccination record on MyChart. It shows the date, vaccine name, manufacturer, lot # and location for both jabs. I don’t see where to download a PDF however.

Frank

My record is on My Chart as well. I also photographed the card and saved it to my phone Quick Memo app, where it is locked ans requires a pin to open. The original is in a safe place in a protective plastic sleeve.

Hi all

For the MyChart app:

I did menu -> COVID 19
( this is under the MyRecord section)

There is a green button that says “Download Vaccination Record”. You will get a warning that it is transferring a file out of a secure environment.

This creates a PDF. I then use the “share” icon (the box with the up arrow) to save to GoodReader or your favorite storage app.

I suspect you can also screen shot it.

Nope, didn’t work for me. I must have a different version of the app. If I access the info using the web version I can get a print icon but no download option. I could use my Mac to print to a PDF but I’m fine just having it on my phone in the app.

Frank T. I just took a photo of my card with my phone and saved it there. As far as My Chart is concerned, I don't use the app, just the website.