It’s important to hold on to COVID-19 vaccination information as more events and venues require proof, and for future screenings and regulations. But if the vaccination card has been lost, there are ways to retrieve the information.
Pharmacies can retrieve vaccination records, as long as patients know which location they visited. Primary care Dr. Jennifer Preiss of Allegheny Health Network says mass vaccination sites are usually tied to an organization that keeps records, so she recommends contacting that partner.
Dr. Debra Bogen, head of the Allegheny County Health Department, said individuals vaccinated by the agency or any of their clinics can call 2-1-1.
“If you aren’t sure, you can try your health care provider who can look into the Pennsylvania State Immunization Information System, we all call that SIIS, and find the results of when you got your vaccines and provide you that information,” Bogen said.
Preiss said she recommends taking a photo of the vaccine card on a cell phone, and encourages everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated. She cited recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found the COVID-19 vaccine is safe for pregnant individuals.
“Until we can convince people to get vaccinated and the benefits of the vaccination far, far, far outweigh the risks, we're not getting out of this,” Preiss said. “And it's frustrating for health care providers.”
