Unlike most of the rest of the educated world, the United States has chosen not to have a national digital vaccination standard. There are a number of private options like CLEAR or Samsung Pay that lets you create one but with no option we can have complete confidence that the rest of the world will accept.
Frustrating? You bet!
So we are stuck with this sad and flimsy paper card that is the same for all of the US and we all need to understand how important protecting this original document is if we wish to travel around the world.
Why not make digital backups or make a copy and have it plastic-coated at places like Staples or Office Depot? Most locations require your original REAL paper document to be presented NOT a copy or a photo or a digital device from one of the many digital choices.
Also, the feds seem to take a very negative view of you using their logo or making a “fake” backup card, that is, doing this could land you in jail (or worse) so I am not doing this.
So how do we protect our real cards? I like these (<-LINK):
Why these? I have really taken a great deal of time researching options and I think these are the best choice / value / option.
Here is my thinking:
I wanted something about the same size as my passport. These fit that parameter. Plus, they are large and flexible enough that my passport will nest inside them.
Beyond this, they provide a few other nice options.
The vax card slides in with little effort so if I have to pull it out and present the card outside the wallet I can do that with little risk of damage. In addition to that, it has a spot for two cards so if you wanted to you could buy one and have both your and your +1’s card in the same wallet. For me, since my state of Indiana also provides a proof of vaccination card I can include both of these in my one physical wallet.
Why these vs. simply one of the other waterproof clear plastic options?
I want something long-term-ish. I wanted something that I can simply remove the cards for my next (and next and next…) booster shots and return the card to its home. I think this wallet will do that.
What do you think of my choice? Would you rather have one that your passport fits inside like this one or maybe this one? Do you have a better option to protect your card? – René
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I think I would rather use a clear plastic sleeve that can be inserted into my passport. It should also be easy to remove the card from the sleeve when necessary (for updates), but, as it’s transparent, the card probably wouldn’t need to be removed for travel checkpoints.
It’s kind of dumb that these cards aren’t sized to fit inside standard wallets. Also dumb that we don’t have some kind of digital standard yet.
A digital card would be an assault in the poor, who often don’t have Apple smartphones. The poor should have free smartphones paid for by the rich.
@derek – There is no reason to provide both digital and paper.
Then there is no reason for digital?
@Kathy – IMO we should have both i.e. the national paper card we already have and a national digital one as well.
Sounds good.
they do have iphones paid for by working Americans!!!
The cell phones you’re thinking of are a program started by Bush 43, intended to make it possible to check up on people receiving government aid without having to send people on foot to their homes (because they didn’t have phones, you see). The “free” phones are provided by the phone companies, not the government. Not new phones either…they’re the old phones people trade in for upgrades. Your outrage is totally misplaced – this common sense program saves taxpayer money, which is what we want our government to do, right?
I’ve stapled my CDC card to the inside back page of my passport. If I lose either document while traveling internationally I’m in serious trouble, so why not both?
@Miles – I would never staple my passport. It may make it invalid as damaged (will have to look that up).
Foreign countries staple crap in my passport all the time (I think Japan used to always do this). If I am given a piece of paper that I must present to exit a country, I staple it into my passport. I carry a teenie weenie stapler taken from some hotel room.
@Gene – Not a risk I am willing to take as it could be deemed invalid with the addition of the card! See: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/51.4#g_5
I guess the question I have is how often I will need the vaccine card independent of my passport?
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and SF just adopted a vaccine mandate. It appears that I will not need to carry the original card, at least for San Francisco:
https://sf.gov/information/vaccine-required
All that is needed is an image of a card, an app such as CLEAR, or a California Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record QR code. Given that, I am more inclined to go with something that keeps the card with the passport, such as something like this:
https://amzn.to/3sTtm6k
I’m assuming that the original card will be needed for international travel. Of course, I still need to worry about travel to other US states, so maybe I will end up getting one like the one you suggest. However, first I can check and see what is required in the states to which I plan to travel.
It looks like we will need boosters at 5 or 8 months. There is no room on my card for additional stickers, although I guess stickers can be applied over the text on the other side. I am not sure how this will be documented. Will we need to carry two cards, or will a booster card be enough? A digital system makes so much more sense.
By the way, for the first time I just accessed my California Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record. All I had to provide was my name, DOB, and cell number, and in return, I quickly got a “SMART Health Card” image that includes the date of my first dose and the vaccine type, in addition to a QR code and my name and DOB. It took less than two minutes. It seems that the State of California already has a registry with all this information. It only makes sense to make it convenient for me to easily prove my status without worrying about the card.
The State makes it clear that California Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record is not a vaccine passport, but I really do not understand why everyone is going to such lengths to avoid using that term.
I took e picture and saved it on my phone. I also made several photocopies. I can car lass what the Feds or anyone else thinks.
Quit being such cry babies! My Lord didn’t your mommies ever show you what you should do in cases like this. Use your brain and figure it out. Years ago I purchased a passport cover. When I got my vaccination card I put it in the jacket! That’s where I keep it and when I have to show it—guess what—-I know where it is. And I don’t have to cry or complain!!
I’m currently in France for two weeks. I laminated a COPY of my Covid card and have not had any issues or questions that it was not the “original”. Covid card is apparently now more important than your passport! I would not suggest laminating your original–if boosters are required you would not be able to write on the laminate .