Vaccine Passports Update

I’ve received my second dose!

Many people told me that I would suffer the day after and to be prepared for that; I’m happy to report that the worst side effect I expereinced is muscle ache and tenderness at the site of injection, a touch of joint pain, and feeling a bit sluggish the morning after. Other than that I’m feeling great, happy to be vaccinated, and excited to be one step closer to international travel!

I happened to receive my vaccine from a doctor this time rather than a nurse, and when I asked her to sign my yellow vaccination passport she shared some very interesting information with me, which I immediately thought I must pass on to you, gentle reader.

I had told her the reason I wanted her to sign my vaccine passport was because I wanted to be able to travel freely when it was safe to do so. She agreed to sign it, but she said that I needen’t worry about the yellow cards. The true ticket to travel would be the proof of vaccination papers I received the days I was inocculated.

For many people, even within the same family, these can mean very different things. My parents received a different vaccine and a different proof of vaccination paper from mine. Theirs is printed on a paper that could feasibly last them a lifetime. It’s sturdy cardstock and I suspect if I splashed alcohol onto the ink it wouldn’t run.

My proof was printed on receipt paper.

It’s nowhere near as sturdy, one drop of water nevermind alcohol and it’ll be toast, and for another, the ink will fade over time anyway. Within three or four years I expect they’ll be blank. A less than ideal outcome for someone who wants to continue travelling the world well into her ninetieth years, God willing.

While she gave me the shot (I suspect in equal parts to inform and distract me), the doctor advised me to do two things. First, take a picture of the documents with your phone so that you can have them on hand anywhere you go. The second being to scan the documents and keep them as well as the pictures on your home computer, and on a backup drive. Wouldn’t want to lose them!

I’m sure at some point the world will come together to create a more or less universally accepted vaccine card, something more akin to a drivers license which can be scanned when crossing borders, but until then we just need to keep every scrap of information we have until we know what is expected of us.

I’ll update you as soon as I know more.

Wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay safe gentle reader.