Hang onto the record card. Until the states issue "vaccine passports" they
will serve your travel needs. There are even some perqs. Donuts, anyone? Eric
What You Need to Know About Your Vaccine Card
For now, the best way to show that you’ve been inoculated against the
coronavirus is a simple white card. Here, your key questions answered.
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[https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/03/31/travel/31vaccine-card1/31vaccine-card1-articleLarge-v2.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale]
[A blank Covid-19 vaccination record card; a filled-in version has become many
people’s prized possession.]
A blank Covid-19 vaccination record card; a filled-in version has become many
people’s prized possession.Credit...Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle, via
Associated Press
[Concepción de León]<https://www.nytimes.com/by/concepcion-de-leon>
By Concepción de León<https://www.nytimes.com/by/concepcion-de-leon>
April 1, 2021
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As vaccinations become more widely available for people in the United States
and travel starts picking up, many people have started sharing their simple
white vaccination cards on social media as prized new possessions.
With some destinations, cruise lines and venues already requiring travelers to
provide proof of vaccination against Covid-19, keeping that record is key. In
New York, for example, proof of vaccination or a recent negative test will be
required for entry into large venues or catered events when they are allowed to
reopen at reduced capacity on April 2. Proof will be required at events with
more than 100 people, so anyone having a wedding or Sweet 16 with more
attendees will have to ask guests for evidence that they are complying with the
rules.
There are already a number of vaccination “passport”
initiatives<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/travel/coronavirus-vaccine-passports.html>
underway that would make vaccination status easy to share digitally.
Clear<https://www.clearme.com/>, a biometric screening program used in airports
across the country, and the technology company IBM have created their own
passes, for instance. And last week, New York became the first state to
introduce a digital tool to allow people to easily show that they have either
tested negative or been inoculated against the virus in order to gain entry
into some events and venues.
But until such measures are taken more widely across the country, you’ll want
to hang onto that little white card.
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Here’s everything you need to know about your vaccine record, why it’s
important and how to keep it safe.
[https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/03/31/travel/31vaccine-card2/31vaccine-card2-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale]
Image[A newly inoculated patient reviewed a Covid-19 vaccination record card at
Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in January.]
A newly inoculated patient reviewed a Covid-19 vaccination record card at
Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in January.Credit...Ryan Young for The New York
Times
What’s on a vaccine card?
The vaccine card, given after your first shot and then updated if your vaccine
requires a second one, includes the vaccine manufacturer, the dose numbers and
the date and location each was administered, according to Alex Brown, a
spokeswoman for
Walgreens<https://www.walgreens.com/topic/promotion/covid-vaccine.jsp>, which
is administering vaccinations at more than 5,000 stores nationwide.
Walgreens, like other providers, is looking to make its records digital, Ms.
Brown said, but for now it is still handing out cards.
Walmart and Sam’s Club are already offering their patrons digital access to
their vaccine records
<https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2021/03/17/walmart-empowering-individuals-with-access-to-digital-health-records-in-partnership-with-the-commons-project-foundation-and-clear>
through both the Health Pass by
Clear<https://www.clearme.com/vaccine-validation> and the
CommonHealth<https://www.commonhealth.org/> and
CommonPass<https://commonpass.org/> apps from the Geneva-based nonprofit, the
Commons Project Foundation.
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“Our goal is to give customers vaccinated at Walmart free and secure digital
access to their vaccine record and enable them to share that information with
third parties seeking to confirm their vaccination status,” John Furner, the
chief executive officer and president of Walmart U.S., said in a
statement<https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2021/03/17/walmart-empowering-individuals-with-access-to-digital-health-records-in-partnership-with-the-commons-project-foundation-and-clear>.
What happens if I lose my card?
Getting a new card is easy enough if you got vaccinated at a pharmacy like
Walgreens. Ms. Brown said that anyone who loses their card should return to
where they were vaccinated and a pharmacy employee can print out a new card
from the patient’s electronic records.
[https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/03/31/travel/31vaccine-card3/merlin_182243565_8746ed3b-4faa-4808-965c-71d9604b91c9-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale]
Image
[A member of the Walgreens vaccination team prepared vaccination cards for the
staff and residents of Clove Lakes Nursing Home in Staten Island in January.]
A member of the Walgreens vaccination team prepared vaccination cards for the
staff and residents of Clove Lakes Nursing Home in Staten Island in
January.Credit...Christopher Occhicone for The New York Times
Vaccinations are also tracked by state health departments, so you can reach out
to your state’s agency to get a replacement card, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. The agency lists contact
information<https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/contacts-locate-records.html#state>
for the Immunization Information System in each state, which tracks
vaccinations, on its website.
How should I safeguard my card?
Start by taking a picture of it with your phone, so you’ll have the information
in your photo library, and emailing it to yourself as backup, said Dr. Uchenna
Ikediobi, an assistant professor of general internal medicine and infectious
diseases at Yale University.
Laminating your card will make it more durable if you’re planning to carry it
around in your wallet, though there has been some concern about lamination
because it would prevent information from future booster shots from being
added. But Dr. Ikediobi said that this “may be a moot point if new cards are
issued after a booster shot, as would seem likely.”
A number of companies have jumped in to offer free lamination. Staples is
offering free lamination of vaccine cards for those who have gotten their
doses, according to Jocelyn Moruzzi, a spokeswoman for the office goods
retailer. The offer is valid at all of the company’s United States locations
with the offer code 81450 and does not yet have an end date.
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How the Pandemic Has Made the Creative Class Feel Free
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“Customers began seeking out ways to protect their Covid-19 vaccine record
cards, knowing they will likely be important to have on hand in the future,”
Craig Grayson, vice president of print and marketing services for Staples, said
in an email on Wednesday. “Leveraging our existing capabilities in store felt
like a natural way to provide a free solution.”
People can also get their completed vaccine cards laminated for free at Office
Depot and
OfficeMax<https://media.officedepot.com/image/upload/v1616624545/content/od/tiles/2021/week_14/free_covid-19_lamination.pdf>
stores nationwide using the code 52516714 through July 25.
Dr. Ikediobi also recommends keeping the card in a safe place, as you would
your passport, rather than carrying it around. “It does not necessarily need to
be on your person at all times,” she said.
Do I need my card to travel?
In some cases, yes. Border entry requirements are set by governments, not by
airlines or by the International Air Transport Association, the trade
association for the world’s airlines. Some destinations and cruise lines have
started requiring that travelers be fully vaccinated before they travel. As of
March 26, fully vaccinated Americans who can present proof of vaccination can
visit Iceland, for example, and avoid border measures such as testing and
quarantining, the country’s government
said<https://www.government.is/news/article/2021/03/16/Exemption-from-border-measures-for-vaccinated-individuals-to-be-extended-to-non-Schengen-countries/>.
The cruise line Royal Caribbean is requiring passengers and crew members 18 or
older to be vaccinated in order to board its ships, as are Virgin Voyages,
Crystal Cruises and others. These companies will restart cruise operations this
spring and summer. None of the companies are yet operating cruises out of
United States ports, because the C.D.C. has yet to give them the guidelines
<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/19/travel/coronavirus-cruises.html> they’ll
need to follow.
For the moment, airlines are not requiring vaccinations for travel. But the
idea has been much talked about in the industry. In an interview with NBC
Nightly
News<https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/exclusive-delta-ceo-on-pandemic-s-impact-on-airline-industry-future-of-travel-108224069997>
recently, Ed Bastian, the chief executive officer of Delta Air Lines, said
that proof of vaccination will likely eventually be required on international
flights, but whether that is paper proof or a digital vaccine passport, is
unclear.
Perry Flint, a spokesman for the I.A.T.A., said that the agency does not
support a mandatory vaccine requirement for air travel because it “risks
discriminating against those markets where vaccines may take longer to become
widely available” or against those “who are not able to get vaccinated for
medical reasons, or who are unwilling to do so owing to ethical or other
concerns.”
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Still, the agency is developing its own vaccine pass called Travel
Pass<https://www.iata.org/en/programs/passenger/travel-pass/>, which travelers
can use to share Covid-related health information with governments or airlines
that require it, Mr. Flint said.
Will New York require a vaccine passport?
Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week
announced<https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-launch-excelsior-pass-help-fast-track-reopening-businesses-and>
the launch of Excelsior Pass, a free app that will allow businesses to scan a
code to confirm whether someone has been vaccinated or tested negative for the
coronavirus. To sign up, New York residents should visit the Excelsior Pass
website,<https://epass.ny.gov/home> where they will be asked to enter their
name, date of birth and ZIP code. A pass — a QR code that can be scanned by
businesses — will automatically be generated using data from state vaccination
records or testing lab data.
No one is required to download Excelsior Pass, according to a spokesman for the
governor’s office. The pass generated on the website can be printed out, or you
can show your vaccine card or evidence of a negative test result instead.
Will the Biden administration require a vaccine passport?
Among the Biden administration’s executive orders aimed at curbing the pandemic
is one that asked government agencies to “assess the feasibility” of producing
digital versions of vaccination documents. But while the government is involved
in these efforts, the administration has said that it would not be passing a
federal mandate or distributing its own vaccine passport.
[https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/03/31/travel/31vaccine-card4/merlin_177078843_2443ee53-91f2-4489-ba05-4aeef758552c-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale]
Image
[The Krispy Kreme chain is offering one free glazed doughnut a day to anyone
who presents proof of Covid-19 vaccination. ]
The Krispy Kreme chain is offering one free glazed doughnut a day to anyone who
presents proof of Covid-19 vaccination. Credit...Timothy A. Clary/Agence
France-Presse — Getty Images
In a White House Covid-19 news conference on
Monday,<https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2021/03/29/press-briefing-by-white-house-covid-19-response-team-and-public-health-officials-21/>
Andy Slavitt, the acting director for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, said that “unlike other parts of the world, the government here is
not viewing its role as the place to create a passport, nor a place to hold the
data of citizens.”
“We view this as something that the private sector is doing and will do,” he
said. “What’s important to us — and we’re leading an interagency process right
now to go through these details — are that some important criteria be met with
these credentials,” including equitable access and privacy and security
concerns.
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Are there other benefits?
Yes. Aside from the health benefits of getting the vaccine, there are also
other perks that come with your vaccine card. Businesses across the country,
from bars to marijuana
dispensaries<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/business/covid-19-vaccine-krispy-kreme-donuts.html>,
have been offering perks to those with a Covid-19 vaccination card. Krispy
Kreme, for instance, said last
week<https://twitter.com/krispykreme/status/1373996749153533956?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1373996749153533956%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fcovid-vaccine-freebies-donuts-cannabis-laminate-cards%2F>
that for the rest of the year, it would give one free glazed doughnut per day
to anyone who presents proof of a Covid-19 vaccination.
Traveling and Vaccines
<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/business/covid-19-vaccine-krispy-kreme-donuts.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>
Free With Your Covid Shot: Beer, Arcade Tokens and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
March 24, 2021
<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/travel/coronavirus-vaccine-passports.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>
Coming Soon: The ‘Vaccine Passport’
Feb. 4, 2021
<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/travel/virus-safety-vacation.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>
Vaccines and Travel: What You Need to Know
March 23, 2021
Michael Tattersfield, the company’s chief executive, told Fox News that as
vaccinations have accelerated across the country, “We made the decision that,
‘Hey, we can support the next act of joy,’ which is, if you come by, show us a
vaccine card, get a doughnut any time, any day, every day if you choose to.”
Follow New York Times Travel on
Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/nytimestravel/>,
Twitter<https://twitter.com/nytimestravel> and
Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/nytimestravel/>. And sign up for our weekly
Travel Dispatch newsletter<https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/traveldispatch>
to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next
vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out
our 52 Places list for
2021<https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/travel/places-to-visit-vacation.html>.
Concepción de León is a staff writer covering news and culture for the Books
section.
