BREWERTON — As New York State begins its reopening, you may see events and gatherings ask for proof of being vaccinated. As this trend continues, Northern Onondaga Public Library (NOPL) asked the question, “How can individuals best preserve vaccination information yet keep it safe and accessible?”
One trend is to laminate your vaccine card. Stores like OfficeMax, Office Depot, Staples, and local printing facilities are offering this service. Currently, some facilities offer free lamination services or deals at this time; check with the location for more information. For lamination, all you have to do is make sure that your card and shots are complete before laminating, as once your card is laminated, it is laminated for good.
But this brings up another question: What if there is a booster shot and your vaccination card is laminated? This permanent lamination may not be ideal if you’ll be needing to write on the card in the future. Considering a less permanent option may be best. Using a plastic sleeve to protect your card, similar to the ones for baseball card collectors, is ideal; with an opening, you can pull out the card if ever necessary.
Vaccination card sizes vary; some are as small as a business card, while others are more like a postcard. Finding sleeves may be difficult, so what else can you do?
Digitization is another way to have your information on the go. If you visit epass.ny.gov, you will see an option available from NYS to digitize your vaccination card information. The Excelsior Pass provides secure digital proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test results. The pass is accessible with the Excelsior Pass Wallet app and will display a QR code linking to your information. Participating businesses can then scan your digital card to read your COVID data on your device. To get started, you will have to verify your identity to activate the pass. Please note that the information collected complies with data protection laws, so you will not receive marketing communications due to your enrollment, and only underlying data will be shared with third parties.
If you’re not comfortable sharing this information or downloading an app, you can always take a photo or scan your card to use it as a backup copy. NOPL Brewerton has a Preservation Studio that offers studio time to scan items into digital files. Come with a storage device or purchase one at the front desk; CDs and USB drives are available. This service is free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended and be scheduled by phone or online at NOPL.org.
The idea is to preserve that information somehow so if you need it in the future, you have it. Suppose you were to lose your card and had no backup. In that case, you could always try to contact the business in which you were vaccinated or the NYS Immunization Information System (NYSIIS) if vaccinated at a mass vaccination hub.
If you have any questions about preserving your vaccination information, please call to speak with a librarian at any of our NOPL branches — Brewerton Library at 315-676-7484, Cicero Library at 315-699-2032, or North Syracuse Library at 315-458-6184.