Guidelines are needed for the vaccinated public on how to care for their cards after their second dose of the anti-coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine.
I wrote last Sunday about not posting photos of vaccination cards on social media because criminals can steal your personal details and use them or your card for whatever purpose. I was pleased to know at least two people who took the advice and removed their vax card photos from Facebook. They deleted their posts fast enough and so I guess those were two vax cards removed from the hands of criminals.
A photo of your vaccination card on social media could invite identity theft. Scammers can use your personal information to resort to illegal activities such as using your details to open accounts in your name.
Aside from not posting pictures of vaccination cards, what else should double-vaxxed people do with their cards? Some guidelines are needed from the Department of Health or the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF).
After I got my completed card, the medical officer who monitored me said I should keep it in a safe place. I asked if I should have it laminated, she said that would be better.
So, I went straight to a lamination center where I had the card photocopied. I then asked that the original and the copy be laminated. I now have an extra copy of my vaccination card. The extra copy is what I carry around in my bag; the original I keep at home.
But laminating the card might not have been wise at all. I read an article that said a vaccine booster shot may be needed later and this cannot be recorded on a laminated card. Another article mentioned that you should place your vaccination card in a plastic card sleeve or another type of holder to keep it protected. Someone will probably discover soon a holder designed specifically for vaccination cards.
When masks became a requirement, the business-inclined designed their own masks and sold them online. Aside from the common disposable masks, we now see reusable cloth masks sewn to the customer’s liking, made of special material or batik, or worn in combo with a headband. With more people holding vaccination cards, there will be a need for proper holders designed to meet the demand.
What to do with the vaccination card and how to protect it from dirt and damage may be the next hot item on online shopping in this pandemic.
While waiting for government guidelines, things to remember are –
Write your contact number at the bottom. That’s the usual item missed in filling up the card.
Do not laminate unless that option is clarified by health or vaccination officials. Keep it in plastic in the meantime.
Using your mobile phone, take a photo of your card. You now have a digital copy.
Have your card photocopied to get a second copy. You may then leave the original at home and bring the copy wherever you go.