Another view on the passport:
https://nypost.com/2021/04/03/vaccine-passports-just-arent-worth-the-trouble/?utm_source=email_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons
Bob Kasprak===========================================
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Russell <ericprussell@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Uupretirees Yahoogroups <uupretirees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sun, Apr 4, 2021 3:46 pm
Subject: [uupretirees] If you've gotten COVID vaccine
#yiv7586911264 P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}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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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 By Concepción de León April 1, 2021 GET THE TRAVEL DISPATCH
NEWSLETTER: Essential news on the changing travel landscape, expert tips and
inspiration for your future trips.Sign UpAs 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 underway that would make vaccination status
easy to share digitally. Clear, 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.
ADVERTISEMENTContinue reading the main storyHere’s everything you need to know
about your vaccine record, why it’s important and how to keep it safe. Image
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, 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 through both the Health Pass by Clear and the
CommonHealth and CommonPass apps from the Geneva-based nonprofit, the Commons
Project Foundation. ADVERTISEMENTContinue reading the main story“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.
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. 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.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 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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Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENTContinue reading the main
story“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 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.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 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
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.” ADVERTISEMENTContinue reading the main storyStill, the agency is
developing its own vaccine pass called 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 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, 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. Image 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, 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. ADVERTISEMENTContinue reading the main story
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, have been offering perks to those with a
Covid-19 vaccination card. Krispy Kreme, for instance, said last week 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 VaccinesFree With
Your Covid Shot: Beer, Arcade Tokens and Krispy Kreme DoughnutsMarch 24,
2021Coming Soon: The ‘Vaccine Passport’Feb. 4, 2021Vaccines and Travel: What
You Need to KnowMarch 23, 2021Michael 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,
Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter 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. Concepción de León is a staff writer covering news
and culture for the Books section.
