COVID-19 vaccine card
A COVID-19 vaccine card is a record often given to those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine showing information such as the date(s) one has received the shot(s) and the brand of vaccine one has received, sometimes including the lot number. The card also contains information identifying the recipient and the location where the shot was given. Depending on the country, it could serve as an official document verifying one has received vaccination, which could be required by some institutions, such as a school or workplace, when boarding a cruise ship, or when crossing an international border, as proof that one has been vaccinated.
For the use of vaccine certificates for pandemic control, see Vaccine passports during the COVID-19 pandemic.Some countries issue digital records while others issue paper records. In some European Union member states, citizens might choose to have a digital record, a piece of paper, or both.[1]
By country[edit]
Australia[edit]
In Australia, vaccine providers are required to report to the Australian Immunisation Register no later than 10 days after a vaccination is given. People who have been vaccinated can either access a digital record of vaccination on a smartphone, or request a paper copy of their vaccination record.[2]
Issues[edit]
Posting on social media[edit]
Many vaccine recipients have posted pictures of their vaccine cards on social media. This risks the exposure of personal information that is unsafe to share with the public.[58]
Forgery[edit]
Fake vaccine cards have been sold on the Internet. Sales of these cards have increased substantially since some businesses started requiring proof of vaccination to gain entry. Existing laws prohibit the sale and use of these forgeries.[59]
In September 2021, a woman in the United States was arrested for using a fake vaccine card to bypass mandatory vaccination requirements. The arrest was made after it came to light that the card said Maderna instead of Moderna in the vaccine name.[60] The same month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 6,000 counterfeit vaccine cards across the country with two mail packages in Pittsburgh originating from China.[61] Prior to this, several vendors were found selling fake vaccine cards on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.[62]
In Russia, a black market for fake vaccine cards emerged soon after the government started requiring them for various activities.[63]
At a Dutch nightclub, clubgoers presenting the Q-codes of digital certificates belonging to others led to an outbreak that infected 160 people.[64]
Theft of authentic cards[edit]
A Chicago pharmacist sold 125 authentic vaccination cards online to 11 different buyers and was charged with 12 counts of theft of government property, with a potential sentence of ten years in prison for each count.[65] A contractor at the Pomona Fairplex in California stole 528 blank vaccination cards and was charged with felony grand theft.[66]
