What to do if you lose, misplace your COVID-19 vaccine card in NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – From restaurants to venues to international travel, more activities are requiring proof of vaccination.

“I would say most of the cruise lines require a vaccine,” said Jenn Welsh, a travel advisor with Trip and Sip Travel, which is based in Raleigh. “Some are strict about you absolutely have to have a vaccine there is just no ifs, ands, or buts.”

“I personally see, just the way things are trending, they are going to require it more and more,” Welsh said.

UNC Health officials said they get several calls a week from people who lost or misplaced their vaccine cards.

“We actually have seen that, it’s common to misplace things. We always recommend our patients keep it in a safe place, maybe keep a copy somewhere in a locked box for your records,” said Kelsey Divers, COVID-19 vaccination operations manager for UNC Health.

If you do need a replacement of your card, it’s best to start with the place you received your shots. Some, like UNC Health, don’t offer replacements, though.

“Don’t panic. We can get that copy from the state,” Divers said.

The state has an online COVID-19 vaccine portal that has records for North Carolina providers, which includes many pharmacies, health systems, and departments.

You can access your vaccine information by registering and creating an account through the state health department’s website.

It can be viewed online, downloaded, and printed.

If you have trouble accessing it, you can call the COVID-19 vaccine help center at 1-888-675-4567.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services officials said it can be used in place of the vaccine card.

If you received your shot or shots from a pharmacy participating in the federal program, like CVS and Walgreens, or from a federal vaccine provider and lost your card, you need to go to them to get proof of vaccination.

“We don’t know what different venues are going to require here in the future. I personally made a copy of mine to keep tucked away,” Divers said.

More information can be found online.