What to do if you’ve lost your COVID-19 vaccination card

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The cards that provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination are required more frequently, but it’s inevitable that some cards will be lost or need to be replaced. When that happens, Alaska Immunization Program Manager Matthew Bobo said Alaskans have a few options to obtain a new one.

“The fastest way to get a replacement card for your immunization record is to go to your health care provider, so be it your primary care provider, or to a public center, or to a tribal health center,” said Bobo.

When Alaskans are vaccinated, that information goes into a state system called VacTrAK. Even though the information is personal, Bobo said there is currently no way for private individuals who are not health care providers to access it.

“We are working on an electronic solution in getting vaccines more accessible on your smart phone or via a QR code,” he said. “But we are in the process of getting that.”

But that system may be months away, according to Bobo. In the meantime—in addition to contacting their health care provider—people can also get replacement cards by visiting the site where they got at least one of their COVID-19 vaccinations. The municipal health department can also issue cards, as well as some pharmacies.

Another option is to download a vaccine records request form from the state health department website. Because the state does not currently have a secure email system for health information, the form must be faxed or mailed in. Bobo said a complete vaccination record should arrive in the mail within five to seven business days.

If Alaska residents are traveling out of state and need to get a replacement card, Bobo said there’s really no way to speed up the process since the records are currently not available to the public online. The best bet may be to contact your health care provider and see if they can email a copy directly to you. Bobo also encourages people to take a picture of their vaccination card and keep it on their phone.