Dec 19, 2020, 11:14 am
Last edit by: username
- US CDC "What to Expect at Your Appointment to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19" webpage
- IATA Travel Pass Initiative
- Existing WHO "International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis"
- News Articles and Interviews:
How is the US going to Provide COVID-19 Immunization Certification?
Mar 2, 2021, 5:43 pm
#121
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Texas
Programs: UA, AA, DL, BA, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt
Posts: 1,290
I applaud the fact that we are at the stages of "assessing the feasibility." Until that happens, I recommend people carry the proofs of vaccination I mention in a post above.
Last edited by txp; Mar 3, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Mar 3, 2021, 3:39 pm
#122
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
Programs: UA Life Gold, Marriott Life Titanium
Posts: 2,757
I think this is pretty simple. Every country is desperate to get their travel industries cranking up again. With that, by the time "rich countries" get the bulk of their people vaccinated - which should be this summer - then you can probably show up somewhere with a Post-it Note saying you got vaccinated and countries are going to let you in.
Basically, by the time I'm personally ready to travel internationally, the doors are going to be open in most places just due to economic necessity and the fact that COVID cases will most likely be pretty minuscule. There will be hot spots of course.
Also, all of the talk about Yellow Fever booklets and whatnot, a very, very small percentage of international travelers have those, and international travelers are a small portion of people, especially Americans. The need for Iceland to verify that you have had a vaccination is not going to cause each of the 55 States, DC and Territories from building HIPAA-compliant databases linked to US passports. It just isn't going to happen. Your immunization card is probably going to be all you're going to get because everything else is a multi-year unfunded fantasy to make happen and COVID should be gone or at least mutated into an annual flu-type virus by then.
Basically, by the time I'm personally ready to travel internationally, the doors are going to be open in most places just due to economic necessity and the fact that COVID cases will most likely be pretty minuscule. There will be hot spots of course.
Also, all of the talk about Yellow Fever booklets and whatnot, a very, very small percentage of international travelers have those, and international travelers are a small portion of people, especially Americans. The need for Iceland to verify that you have had a vaccination is not going to cause each of the 55 States, DC and Territories from building HIPAA-compliant databases linked to US passports. It just isn't going to happen. Your immunization card is probably going to be all you're going to get because everything else is a multi-year unfunded fantasy to make happen and COVID should be gone or at least mutated into an annual flu-type virus by then.
Mar 3, 2021, 4:05 pm
#123
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Texas
Programs: UA, AA, DL, BA, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt
Posts: 1,290
I think this is pretty simple. Every country is desperate to get their travel industries cranking up again. With that, by the time "rich countries" get the bulk of their people vaccinated - which should be this summer - then you can probably show up somewhere with a Post-it Note saying you got vaccinated and countries are going to let you in.
Basically, by the time I'm personally ready to travel internationally, the doors are going to be open in most places just due to economic necessity and the fact that COVID cases will most likely be pretty minuscule. There will be hot spots of course.
Also, all of the talk about Yellow Fever booklets and whatnot, a very, very small percentage of international travelers have those, and international travelers are a small portion of people, especially Americans. The need for Iceland to verify that you have had a vaccination is not going to cause each of the 55 States, DC and Territories from building HIPAA-compliant databases linked to US passports. It just isn't going to happen. Your immunization card is probably going to be all you're going to get because everything else is a multi-year unfunded fantasy to make happen and COVID should be gone or at least mutated into an annual flu-type virus by then.
Basically, by the time I'm personally ready to travel internationally, the doors are going to be open in most places just due to economic necessity and the fact that COVID cases will most likely be pretty minuscule. There will be hot spots of course.
Also, all of the talk about Yellow Fever booklets and whatnot, a very, very small percentage of international travelers have those, and international travelers are a small portion of people, especially Americans. The need for Iceland to verify that you have had a vaccination is not going to cause each of the 55 States, DC and Territories from building HIPAA-compliant databases linked to US passports. It just isn't going to happen. Your immunization card is probably going to be all you're going to get because everything else is a multi-year unfunded fantasy to make happen and COVID should be gone or at least mutated into an annual flu-type virus by then.
I also agree that at some point (maybe not this summer but definitely by summer 2022), everything will be open to citizens of developed countries. Thus, the various strategies mentioned here for documenting vaccination are only relevant for the interim period -- i.e. from now till summer 2022 at the latest). After that, I expect entry requirements to be based on citizenship and vaccines to be required only of citizens or residents of countries that are falling behind on the vaccination process.
Mar 3, 2021, 4:16 pm
#124
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: LAX, TIJ
Programs: UA, AS, Volaris, VivaAerobús
Posts: 204
I got my vaccine at a state run mega site, so when no one there had seen one at all I was a little shocked. Also, I made sure that asking didn't hold anything up, and worked with some site supervisor during my 15 waiting period. Everyone was quite friendly and ultimately dose 1 got entered in on the card. So, I assume it will be easier when I go back for shot 2.
For me a large part of getting vaccinated is the hope that will aide in my return to international biz and personal travel.
For me a large part of getting vaccinated is the hope that will aide in my return to international biz and personal travel.
I also got a supervisor at a Los Angeles County run MegaPOD drive-through site to sign my yellow card, and it only added 5 minutes to the wait. The nurse took the extra time to find one for and get it signed.
Mar 3, 2021, 4:17 pm
#125
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Texas
Programs: UA, AA, DL, BA, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt
Posts: 1,290
I immediately went looking for my yellow card, which was issued to me by my university a long time ago for a study aboard program, after a few you posters mentioned it. I thought I lost it, but found it.
I also got a supervisor at a Los Angeles County run MegaPOD drive-through site to sign my yellow card, and it only added 5 minutes to the wait. The nurse took the extra time to find one for and get it signed.
I also got a supervisor at a Los Angeles County run MegaPOD drive-through site to sign my yellow card, and it only added 5 minutes to the wait. The nurse took the extra time to find one for and get it signed.
Yes, it's easy to get the yellow card signed. I agree. As mentioned above, this is likely to be useful for the next 6-18 months. After that, I expect that all vaccine-based travel privileges will become irrelevant.
Mar 3, 2021, 5:20 pm
#126
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 451
Well I didn't even get a CDC vaccine card.. i got a letter sized print-out with the CDC card printed on it. That's probably the easiest thing to forge as far as "documents" go realistically speaking.
Mar 3, 2021, 6:11 pm
#127
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Texas
Programs: UA, AA, DL, BA, Marriott, Hilton, Accor, Hyatt
Posts: 1,290
Within the US it's easy for someone to verify if the information is accurate. All they have to do is to check it in the vaccine registry system of your state. The card itself does not add much value. It just prompts the relevant authority to verify the information in the official registry. Much like a health insurance card: the card itself is useless unless they can verify coverage with your insurance company.
Mar 3, 2021, 6:27 pm
#128
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
Programs: UA Life Gold, Marriott Life Titanium
Posts: 2,757
Within the US it's easy for someone to verify if the information is accurate. All they have to do is to check it in the vaccine registry system of your state. The card itself does not add much value. It just prompts the relevant authority to verify the information in the official registry. Much like a health insurance card: the card itself is useless unless they can verify coverage with your insurance company.
Mar 18, 2021, 10:33 am
#130
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: LAX, TIJ
Programs: UA, AS, Volaris, VivaAerobús
Posts: 204
I immediately went looking for my yellow card, which was issued to me by my university a long time ago for a study aboard program, after a few you posters mentioned it. I thought I lost it, but found it.
I also got a supervisor at a Los Angeles County run MegaPOD drive-through site to sign my yellow card, and it only added 5 minutes to the wait. The nurse took the extra time to find one for and get it signed.
I also got a supervisor at a Los Angeles County run MegaPOD drive-through site to sign my yellow card, and it only added 5 minutes to the wait. The nurse took the extra time to find one for and get it signed.
Mar 18, 2021, 11:44 am
#131
Moderator, Amtrak & Spirit Airlines
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: EWR :rolleyes:
Programs: AC 50K, AS MVP, AA Plat Pro, DL Plat, UA Silver, IHG Spire, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 9,613
Just as an update I got my second shot earlier this week.
This time no one blinked at the Yellow Card and they filled it out along with my CDC card.
At least now in my mind I am happy to have both doses noted in the yellow WHO card.
We'll see what any of this means down the road I guess.
This time no one blinked at the Yellow Card and they filled it out along with my CDC card.
At least now in my mind I am happy to have both doses noted in the yellow WHO card.
We'll see what any of this means down the road I guess.
Mar 22, 2021, 12:11 am
#132
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,965
...
My sense is that until we come up with something better, most jurisdictions will accept one or more of these proofs of vaccination. Within the US (and perhaps Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean Islands), the CDC card will probably suffice, but for other countries a combination of the four items listed (or perhaps all four) might be necessary.
My sense is that until we come up with something better, most jurisdictions will accept one or more of these proofs of vaccination. Within the US (and perhaps Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean Islands), the CDC card will probably suffice, but for other countries a combination of the four items listed (or perhaps all four) might be necessary.
When I got my vaccine, the person giving me the shot did not give me the card. Then when I got to the next step, the person was surprised and pulled out a blank card from her pocket and copied the information (name and vaccine lot) from her iPad.
Mar 23, 2021, 9:37 am
#133
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 3,849
Lots of international travel coming up for work, so it's time to figure out how to best prove my vaccination status. I realise some of the following posts are from a few months ago and have since been discussed and updated. However, hopefully collecting them all in one post will benefit others reading this thread.
Interesting -- I was thinking this might be the case. But of course, data is supposed to be entered into the yellow book in the USA, for when the book is needed to be shown outside of the USA. I bet it will be luck of the draw as to whether or not the medical providers involved are happy to write in the yellow book…
Thanks for this report. Heading to the same kind of state-run mega site next week and am hoping I won't run into problems getting the yellow book signed.
Wise words. I also have used additional lines in the past.
Also very wise words. I'm planning to carry as many of those items as possible.
Excellent news. Thanks for the update! I also will revert back next week.
I got my vaccine at a state run mega site, so when no one there had seen one at all I was a little shocked. Also, I made sure that asking didn't hold anything up, and worked with some site supervisor during my 15 waiting period. Everyone was quite friendly and ultimately dose 1 got entered in on the card. So, I assume it will be easier when I go back for shot 2. For me a large part of getting vaccinated is the hope that will aide in my return to international biz and personal travel.
There are two additional advantages to entering the info on page 8 as opposed to pages 4 & 6. First, you don't have to fill in the "expiration date," thus avoiding the question to which no one knows the answer: "how long does my protection last?" Second, you have more space to enter the name & address of the vaccination site, particularly if you skip a line between the two doses. Note that you don't quite have to stay within the prescribed space and you can definitely use more than one line per dose.
Many on this forum correctly pointed out that at the moment there is no single, universally accepted proof of COVID-19 vaccination. For this reason, my personal recommendation is that travelers get *all* of the proofs shown below, because you never know which one will be accepted by any particular jurisdiction:
* The CDC card;
* A WHO card signed by a representative of the place that administered the vaccine;
* A printout of the immunization record from your state's health department;
* A letter from your primary care doctor, on his or her letter head, certifying that you were vaccinated, according to the information available in your state's immunization registry.
My sense is that until we come up with something better, most jurisdictions will accept one or more of these proofs of vaccination… I recommend that people carry *all* proofs of vaccination listed above.
* The CDC card;
* A WHO card signed by a representative of the place that administered the vaccine;
* A printout of the immunization record from your state's health department;
* A letter from your primary care doctor, on his or her letter head, certifying that you were vaccinated, according to the information available in your state's immunization registry.
My sense is that until we come up with something better, most jurisdictions will accept one or more of these proofs of vaccination… I recommend that people carry *all* proofs of vaccination listed above.
Also very wise words. I'm planning to carry as many of those items as possible.
Excellent news. Thanks for the update! I also will revert back next week.
Mar 24, 2021, 8:24 am
#134
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA MM, AA EXP; OW Emerald, EK silver
Posts: 928
I foolishly didn't take my yellow booklet when I got my vaccines. Am hoping that if I take them to the local health dept together with my CDC card they'll fill it out and add a suitably impressive stamp. Failing that will ask my internist to complete it. Incidentally, highly recommend getting the CDC card laminated, not only does it protect it but makes it look more 'official'
Mar 24, 2021, 9:37 am
#135
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 451
I do not have a local health department here (not including the PA department of health but... that would be a bit difficult) and I have been vaccinated at a supermarket pharmacy. Safe to say that my vaccine record is not transmitted anywhere.
Also, I have not received a CDC card, but a regular paper print-out with the CDC "scanned" onto it - so it looks like total crap. All those things make me feel that we will either rely on this and have it all be on the honor system (because it's easy to fake) or we will not have anything at all and just accept that nobody will accept a US proof of vaccination. Unless some places that have access to the digital one will be blessed with that.
It all varies so much though.
Also, I have not received a CDC card, but a regular paper print-out with the CDC "scanned" onto it - so it looks like total crap. All those things make me feel that we will either rely on this and have it all be on the honor system (because it's easy to fake) or we will not have anything at all and just accept that nobody will accept a US proof of vaccination. Unless some places that have access to the digital one will be blessed with that.
It all varies so much though.