The COVID-19 vaccine card is not an immunity passport. Here’s the difference

Now that one Covid-19 vaccine is finally available in the US under authorization for emergency use, tens of millions of Americans will have their first recordings of the coronavirus vaccine in the coming months. The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses injection and comes with a COVID-19 vaccination card after your first injection is given. But is that the same as an immunity passport to return to normal activities? What are the differences?

The wallet-sized vaccination cards come with the vaccination against the coronavirus kits of Operation Warp Speed ​​shipped according to the United States Department of Defense. The cards are printed in both English and Spanish.

So what are coronavirus vaccination cards and how will they differ from an immunity passport? We answer that and more below.

Read more: 8 myths about coronavirus vaccinations, debunked

What exactly is a COVID-19 vaccination card?

A coronavirus vaccination card is a wallet-sized card that contains your personal information corona vaccine information. It is designed as a useful reminder for any person who receives the first shot so they know when to return to take the booster shot.

For example, one vaccine may require you to return three weeks later, while the other may require you to return for the booster within a month.

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What is a COVID-19 Immunity Passport?

An immunity passport (or vaccine passport) is not an official United States document. Some argue that it could serve as an official certificate of immunity proving your immune status after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and allowing you to return to normal activities such as international travel. A vaccine passport can be in the form of a physical card, a mobile app, a QR code, or a sticker on a passport.

With a certificate of immunity, people could return to the workplace and, for example, enter restaurants and shops and participate in less strict physical distance measures, de Lancet said.

Currently, no immunity passports to coronavirus exist, as experts need to know more about the protection COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

How is a vaccination card different from an immunity passport?

A COVID-19 vaccination card is not the same as an immunity passport. Instead, it will serve as a reminder to get your second injection of the vaccine. It also tells you which vaccine you have received, but that’s it. It cannot be used for any other purpose. Immunity passports have been used in other countries for various diseases, such as polio, to allow international travelers to travel. The immunity passports would confirm that a person is immune to the coronavirus and could then give people more freedom to travel and socialize in public.

What information is on the vaccination card?

When you get your first injection, the following information will be on the coronavirus vaccination card.

• First name and surname
• Date of birth
• Your patient number
• The vaccine you received – Moderna or Pfizer
• The date you received the first and second vaccines
• Where you were vaccinated – for example, a hospital or clinic

Read more: The COVID-19 vaccine flies high and on dry ice to reach you

How do doctors use the vaccination card?

The COVID-19 vaccine cards will be used to help healthcare providers keep track of which vaccine has been given to you so that you get the correct second dose from the same vaccine manufacturer.

For example, if you get the Pfizer vaccine in the first injection, you should get the Pfizer vaccine in the second injection. The same is true of the Moderna vaccine, because the two are not interchangeable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PDF). This is because while the two vaccines use the same technology targets the virus’s mRNA, they are developed differently.

Does the COVID-19 Vaccination Card Mean I Can Stop Wearing a Mask and Social Distance?

No. Even after you get both doses of the coronavirus vaccine, it is still recommended by the CDC that you continue wear a mask while at public and social distance. “Experts need to know more about the protection offered by COVID-19 vaccines,” the CDC says before it can decide when to end wearing a mask and distancing yourself from society.

For more information about the coronavirus vaccine, here’s what you need to know about hidden costs, when you’ll get it, and how many doses you’ll need. Also, here’s who can get the vaccines first and more about the vaccines that could be available by the end of 2020.

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The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health care practitioner if you have any questions about a medical condition or health goals.