The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stopped printing coronavirus vaccination cards since the federal government is no longer distributing vaccines.
The cards, which were once essential to getting into places like restaurants, festivals and bars, have largely become obsolete following the end of the pandemic.
Starting in late 2020, when the first vaccines became available, the CDC shipped more than 980 million cards to Americans.
People who have lost their card can likely request their immunization record where they got their shot or through a state immunization registry. Digital cards may also be available depending on the state.
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“One of the positives (during the pandemic) was having increased autonomy on your patient record, especially the immunization record,” Jeff Chorath, who manages the immunization information system in Washington state, told the Associated Press.
The state offers digital vaccination records.
The federal government doesn’t keep vaccination records.
Wyoming Department of Health nurse consultant Heidi Gurov said people should hold onto their cards like any other health record. “It’s always good to keep those in a safe spot,” she said.
After Moderna and Pfizer’s newest iterations of the vaccine were approved by the FDA last month, four million people have already gotten it, according to the CDC.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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