Will I have trouble with my official chintzy looking vaccine paper?

[Markanddonna]

My DH and I were vaccinated in March as a major drug store (Walgreens) in the USA. They issued us a half sheet of paper, not a card, as proof.  This paper looks so inauthentic. Do you think we will have trouble with this traveling to Europe this fall?

[BlueRiband]

Yes. If you think it looks inauthentic then European immigration agents will think so too.  Contact Walgreens about getting a CDC card.

[navybankerteacher]

I expect that even the CDC cards may be found unsatisfactory - they are too easy to counterfeit to be accepted by any country (or airline or cruise line) seriously interested in seeing “proof of immunization”.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, BlueRiband said:

Yes. If you think it looks inauthentic then European immigration agents will think so too.  Contact Walgreens about getting a CDC card.

Is it on the data base that NY state created? If so, you could get digital proof from NY state.

 

I do agree that if you knowing it is real find it "chintzy", others will also have trouble with it.

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

Is it on the data base that NY state created? If so, you could get digital proof from NY state.

 

Just curious.

If OP lives in Ohio, why would their vaccination records be in NY?

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

I expect that even the CDC cards may be found unsatisfactory - they are too easy to counterfeit to be accepted by any country (or airline or cruise line) seriously interested in seeing “proof of immunization”.

Absolutely.

 

At a minimum, they should get the vaccination proof entered into a respected/recognized medical records data base used by their PCP (of which MyChart is the current “gold standard” in the US). If done correctly, it will be a “provider to provider” communication and displayable in the MyChart app on their smart phone. 

At the same time, I agree that they should pressure Walgreen’s (local and/or national) for a CDC paper card and, if it’s not forthcoming, complain to their County/State Health Department. After all, that card is the currently most widespread “proof” of vaccine.

 

Also, FWIW: If one lives in States like NY or CA, getting your vaccine proof digitized is a smart idea. Likewise, some airlines (e.g., United) are encouraging passengers to upload data/pix of their CDC cards in their FF record (along with any already entered gov’t ID info like your “Trusted Traveler” info [e.g., Global Entry]).

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, klfrodo said:

Just curious.

If OP lives in Ohio, why would their vaccination records be in NY?

He or she has NYC (New York City) listed as home.

[gooch47]

Same problem.  We went back to the Walgreens store and they replaced their chintzy one with one that said CDC on it.  Don't know if it really means anything, but it made me feel better.

 

What really made me mad, though, was their employee who earlier told me only hospitals were handing out the CDC ones.  I knew that wasn't true.  Our daughter got a CDC one at a different Walgreens.

[Zach1213]

4 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I expect that even the CDC cards may be found unsatisfactory - they are too easy to counterfeit to be accepted by any country (or airline or cruise line) seriously interested in seeing “proof of immunization”.

 

Perhaps. But for now, they're accepted. I had to run to Iceland a couple weeks ago for a few days and they had no problem letting me in (without quarantine) upon seeing my CDC card. 

[ontheweb]

25 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

 

Perhaps. But for now, they're accepted. I had to run to Iceland a couple weeks ago for a few days and they had no problem letting me in (without quarantine) upon seeing my CDC card. 

That is good to know. Thank you.

[lenquixote66]

6 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

My DH and I were vaccinated in March as a major drug store (Walgreens) in the USA. They issued us a half sheet of paper, not a card, as proof.  This paper looks so inauthentic. Do you think we will have trouble with this traveling to Europe this fall?

We got ours in a hospital and got a piece of paper, not a card.

[BoozinCroozin]

That's interesting. They are suppose to be on the official CDC card to be "valid" if you had to show proof. If it were me, I would go back to Walgreen's with that sheet to try and get a card. If not, at least get information on where it can be verified.

 

In the end, nothing is really official unless it comes from the vaccine registry. I do not know who has access to it, but that is where your name and which lots of the dose(s) you got reside.

Edited June 23, 2021 by BoozinCroozin

[SelectSys]

@Markanddonna as was suggested earlier, you can probably request a copy from your state of residence.  I know that in California we can get an electronic copy.  Maybe the state where you got vaccinated will have something too.  A quick internet search should point you in the right direction.

 

To all CA posters - if you want a digital copy of your record click the following link: here: https://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/

 

[Markanddonna]

6 hours ago, ontheweb said:

He or she has NYC (New York City) listed as home.

Solidly Ohio for the OP.  I avoid NY at all costs.

[crazyank]

16 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

My DH and I were vaccinated in March as a major drug store (Walgreens) in the USA. They issued us a half sheet of paper, not a card, as proof.  This paper looks so inauthentic. Do you think we will have trouble with this traveling to Europe this fall?

Yes you will have trouble with only a piece of paper. You need something much more "official" looking.

The International Immunization Record aka the yellow book is pretty much accepted EU wide.

11 hours ago, Zach1213 said:

 

Perhaps. But for now, they're accepted. I had to run to Iceland a couple weeks ago for a few days and they had no problem letting me in (without quarantine) upon seeing my CDC card. 

This is a decision made by Iceland and does not apply to all of Europe.  Germany is not accepting US CDC cards as proof at the moment.  The yellow book I mentioned above is accepted. Just make sure it has the dates,  batch number, and signatures of whoever did the vaccinations.

[ldubs]

Is the WHO Yellow Card being used for anything other than yellow fever?  

[Honolulu Blue]

4 hours ago, crazyank said:

Germany is not accepting US CDC cards as proof at the moment.  The yellow book I mentioned above is accepted. Just make sure it has the dates,  batch number, and signatures of whoever did the vaccinations.

 

If they don't accept CDC cards, they're going to have problems letting ANY Americans in, as I estimate that 80% of travelers will have ONLY the card as proof.  I'm not aware of anyone in the U.S. getting the yellow book and using it for only the COVID-19 vaccine.

[ontheweb]

11 hours ago, Markanddonna said:

Solidly Ohio for the OP.  I avoid NY at all costs.

Sorry for the confusion. I was responding to post #2. My bad.😒🤦‍♂️

[BlueRiband]

One important point that we can all glean from this thread:  It is the responsibility of the traveler to verify the required entry documentation for each and every country that one plans to visit.

[CPT Trips]

Although the WHO booklet may not be easy to reproduce, anyone could add a vaccine to one.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, CPT Trips said:

Although the WHO booklet may not be easy to reproduce, anyone could add a vaccine to one.

 

No need to reproduce.   You can buy as many as you want on Amazon for a few bucks.  

 

I still question if anyone is relying on the WHO Yellow Book for anything but Yellow Fever vaccinations?  

[jtwind]

On 6/23/2021 at 12:27 PM, gooch47 said:

Same problem.  We went back to the Walgreens store and they replaced their chintzy one with one that said CDC on it.  Don't know if it really means anything, but it made me feel better.

 

What really made me mad, though, was their employee who earlier told me only hospitals were handing out the CDC ones.  I knew that wasn't true.  Our daughter got a CDC one at a different Walgreens.

The thing I may be slightly concerned with is the info for both shots being filled out with the same pen and same hand writing.  It would be good if Walgeen's has backup online records that you could access.

[crazyank]

6 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

No need to reproduce.   You can buy as many as you want on Amazon for a few bucks.  

 

I still question if anyone is relying on the WHO Yellow Book for anything but Yellow Fever vaccinations?  

Yes, the so called "yellow book"  is the accepted proof of vaccination in a large part of Europe.

[ldubs]

9 hours ago, crazyank said:

Yes, the so called "yellow book"  is the accepted proof of vaccination in a large part of Europe.

 

Thanks Crazyank.  I think the digital pass Germany is rolling out is the way we should all go.  

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, ldubs said:

 

Thanks Crazyank.  I think the digital pass Germany is rolling out is the way we should all go.  

Whether anyone likes it or not, if Germany (or any other country with a usually robust tourism industry) doesn’t accept what ever is/becomes the minimum U.S., standard for proof of Covid vaccination, it/they will be in for a “world of hurt” as regards lost tourist revenue.

And, BTW, didn’t the W.H.O. recently advise against a worldwide Covid passport because of the unfair cost of implementation to third world countries?