HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — COVID vaccine cards are little pieces of paper that carry a lot of meaning. The cards are proof you’ve gotten your COVID-19 vaccine and experts say to hold onto it.
“While currently it’s not being utilized all that much, that’s not to say in a month or so that it will be very important,” said Erik Hefti, Executive Director of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Harrisburg University.
Want the latest on the coronavirus vaccine in Pa.? Visit acb27.com/vaccine for more information.
Right now you don’t have to show proof of vaccination to travel or walk into certain buildings and businesses, but that could soon change. The Washington Post reports the Biden Administration and private companies are working to develop a set of standards to prove people have been vaccinated, also referred to as a “vaccine passport.”
“There’s only so much power that we have with these cards but if we use them to mitigate the potential damage that this has been doing, to not only our country but around the world, it’s definitely something we need to look at,” Hefti said.
If you’re worried about ruining your card, places like Staples and Office Depot are offering to laminate them for free.
“First take a picture of it and or photocopy it, get it laminated and, keep it in a secure place,” Hefti said.
Whatever you do, do not post a picture of the card on the internet.
“That information that’s on that card in and of itself is not going to necessarily make you the victim of identity theft, but that pieced together with additional information can,” said John Sancenito, president of Information Network Associates, Inc.
Experts say scammers can use that information and pretend to work for a health care system.
“They’ll say that the vaccine didn’t take or there was a problem, ask for additional information and people are more likely to do that because the people on the other end of the phone know personal information about them,” Sancenito said.
If you want to post a picture of the vaccine card, make sure any sensitive personal information is covered.
