No vaccine card needed to get updated covid shots at local pharmacies

To get the latest updated covid vaccine, you no longer need that paper vaccine card you may have been carrying in your wallet for the past few years.

The CDC announced Wednesday that, because the federal government itself is not distributing covid vaccines, the organization no longer will be giving out new copies of the paper covid vaccination cards it handed out during earlier parts of the pandemic.

The move ends a practice that has been a staple of covid record-keeping since late 2020. While many precautions requiring people to show proof of vaccination to enter buildings or participate in activities have been phased out, the cards have remained as a pocket-sized medical record ever since.

While the paper covid card was convenient earlier in the pandemic, Arpit Mehta, director of pharmacy at Allegheny General Hospital, believes it has outlived its usefulness.

“Early on, it had a lot more value, since that was the only way of identifying, but I think we are at a good stage in the covid journey that we have that well ironed out from a documentation perspective. I think we’re ready to phase the cards out,” he said.

“Covid is going to be very similar to flu for the rest of our lives, and you don’t carry a flu card,” Mehta added. “I think that it makes sense to go back to our normal system and trust the systems we have in place for our vaccination portfolios.”

Pharmacy chains and clinics with local locations are largely noting that the vaccine card is no longer necessary.

At Rite Aid, a spokesperson noted the chain is “not requiring the vaccine cards.” At CVS, the card isn’t mandatory, but “our pharmacists will complete them if patients bring them in,” said spokesperson Matt Blanchette.

A statement from the Allegheny County Health Department said the cards aren’t needed to get a vaccine at the county clinic in Downtown Pittsburgh and noted that vaccine providers are no longer required to complete the cards. The statement advised people not to throw out the cards if they still have them.

The Allegheny County clinic is on the fourth floor of 425 First Ave. with an entrance on Cherry Way, and appointments can be made by calling 412-578-8062.

“An individual seeking vaccination will need to bring their photo ID and insurance card to their appointment,” the statement said. The clinic can also print out their vaccine records for them.

Where are my records?

Vaccination records are still accessible through several different means. Pennsylvania residents looking for their covid records moving forward can reach out to the Pennsylvania Statewide Immunization Information System (PA-SIIS).

PA-SIIS can send a record of immunizations directly to a resident. This state Department of Health vaccination record, along with the discontinued paper vaccine card, both count as official proofs of vaccination. However, the state record is not technically a replacement vaccine card.

To request the immunization records, Pennsylvanians can fill out an online Authorization for Release of Immunizations Records Form and upload a copy of their photo ID. A paper and email version is also available.

Vaccine records were previously sent to this state system by the pharmacy giving the vaccine, according to the Department of Health.

“It was the pharmacy or vaccine provider that was required to report the administration of a covid-19 vaccine to the Commonwealth, not the individual receiving the vaccine,” DOH spokesperson Mark O’Neill said.

Now that the public health emergency declaration has ended, he noted, vaccine providers are encouraged but not required to provide the state with vaccine administration data. If they are one of a number of facilities participating in the Bridge Access Program, which provides vaccines for people who are uninsured or underinsured, they are required to enter administration data into PA-SIIS.

Internal record keeping

Many pharmacy chains and larger health systems have their own record-keeping mechanisms. Vaccination records at Rite Aid are available at the pharmacy or online if the customer has an account set up, a spokesperson said.

“Patients who receive an immunization at CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic can have an immunization record printed, emailed, and accessible in a personalized CVS Health dashboard, which gives patients immediate access to vaccination records, medications, test results and more once they create an account,” said Blanchette.

At UPMC, patients who receive any vaccine at a non-UPMC location should consider notifying their doctor to update their medical record, though some pharmacies do that automatically, spokesperson Allison Hydzik said in a statement.

The health system uses the MyUPMC patient portal to access and update vaccination records.

“Patients also are encouraged to maintain their own records for all vaccinations in their personal files,” she said.

In a statement, Independence Health System’s chief medical officer Dr. Carol Fox noted that patients who receive vaccines within Independence will have that vaccine recorded as part of their permanent medical record, and can find that information on their patient portal.

“If they receive a vaccine at a pharmacy or from another provider, they can share that information with their primary care team and they will enter the information,” Fox said.

At Allegheny Health Network, vaccines are tracked in the MyChart system, according to Mehta.

“If the patient brings their CDC card, we’re not requiring it anymore, but we’ll fill it out,” he said.

He noted that if people need to add past vaccine records that aren’t in the system for some reason, they can talk to their doctor to update the information.