Here’s Why You Should Think Twice Before Laminating Your Vaccination Card

Before you go and make your vaccination card all fancy, you should read this.

While places like Office Depot and Staples are offering to laminate vaccination cards for free, there have been multiple reports of the lamination process making some vaccination cards illegible. In multiple cases, officials say the ink became hard to read once the vaccination card was laminated.

A public information officer for the Florida Department of Health says it has been a common problem.

In some locations, a label is placed on the card that talks about the vaccine brand and lot number, and those have been printed on thermal printer labels. So what happens is if you put them through a thermal laminator, they will be completely black and illegible.

So, what happens if you've already laminated your card and nothing is wrong?

The answer is nothing. You're good to go. Congrats, your vaccination card made it through the lamination process unscathed.

What happens if your card was ruined or lost?

This is what the CDC says you should do.

1. Contact your vaccination provider directly and they should be able to access your vaccination record.
2. If you can't get in touch with your vaccination provider, reach out to the Louisiana Department of Health. Their immunization information system (IIS) info can be found on the official LDH website.
3. People who are enrolled in VaxText or v-safe can access their info through those tools.
4. If all else fails and you still need a second shot, just reach out to any vaccination provider and they should be able to assist.

Good luck, and happy vaccinating (if that's the route you choose).