Vaccine Cards Lost

About Vaccine Cards Lost

COVID 19 vaccination cards became symbols of vaccination status during the pandemic. The cards were required for entry to restaurants, concerts, and travel in many jurisdictions. Forged vaccine cards appeared on dark web marketplaces. The FBI warned that forging vaccine cards was a federal crime. The small paper cards were easily lost or damaged. Some recipients laminated their cards, though this prevented updating with booster information. The US never developed a national digital vaccine passport, unlike the EU Digital COVID Certificate. State and local digital systems varied widely. The paper card system was a product of the rapid vaccine rollout and lack of unified national health records. The confusion over vaccine records motivated discussions about modernizing immunization information systems. Most states have immunization registries that track vaccinations, but interoperability remains limited.