NEW ORLEANS — With the fourth surge of the coronavirus not showing any signs of slowing down in Louisiana, some businesses have begun requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card is the official record that you were fully vaccinated.
However, the card does not qualify as a vaccine passport for international travel.
There are already a handful of New Orleans restaurants requiring that you show proof of vaccination in order to eat or drink inside.
With these changes taking place people will need to keep their vaccine cards handy.
But, since the card is larger than a credit card or a driver's license, it may not be able to fit in your wallet or pocket without bending, so it may not last forever.
So, digitizing it is a good option for ease of access, allowing folks to take it with them everywhere they take their phone.
There are a couple of ways to do that including downloading one of these two apps. Taking a digital photo of both sides of your vaccine card is a great way to keep a copy on hand.
LA Wallet App
In Louisiana, the official LA Wallet app supports smart health cards and can confirm and display your COVID-19 vaccination status through a secure and confidential connection with the Louisiana Department of Health.
Gov. John Bel Edwards wanted to make sure that people could easily get digital copies of their vaccination records. He said the app's digital vaccine card feature is for connecting people with their own personal health information in a simple, secure way.
LA Wallet is free and will safely protect user's personal health information.
Folks with no access to a smartphone can get printed copies of your vaccine records from your parish health department or from any provider that administers vaccines and uses the LINKS system — a secure statewide immunization information system.
VaxYes from GoGetVax
Another app available is VaxYes from GoGetVax. The app creates a certificate that goes into your Apple Wallet or into Google Pay. All you have to do is enter your phone number on the site and upload images of your vaccination card.
Take a Photo
This is probably the easiest way to store a digital copy of a vaccine card — taking a picture and saving it in Photos or Google Photos app.
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