Lost your COVID-19 vaccination card? It’s easy to get a new one.
With only half the nation fully vaccinated and the coronavirus pandemic rebounding with force, Americans may soon find themselves needing to prove they got their shots.
Many of the nation’s large-scale employers – including Walmart, Disney, United Airlines and Walgreens – will require some or all of their workers to be vaccinated. Vaccinations are also needed to board some cruise ships and to avoid time-consuming quarantine when traveling to some international destinations.
Vaccinations are also likely to become necessary to attend many large entertainment events. For example, Live Nation, one of the largest concert organizers in the country, announced this month that artists can require concert attendees to be vaccinated.
In short, that vaccination card you got earlier this year – a forgettable piece of card stock that inexplicably doesn’t fit in a wallet – could slowly become an entry pass to everyday life. It is not implausible that flashing proof of vaccination could soon become as commonplace as showing an ID card to buy a beer. But … what if you lost it? Fortunately, if you did lose your card, it’s not hard to get new proof of vaccination in Tennessee. And, depending on where you live, you might have options.
The easiest way to get proof of your vaccination is to submit an online form to the Department of Health at https://redcap.link/recordrequest, which should work for all Tennesseans regardless of where they live.
This form won’t actually produce a new copy of your vaccination card, but it will give you the next best thing. The state government will send you a copy of your entire vaccination record, which should include proof of your coronavirus vaccination. This might be a little unwieldly because your proof of vaccination won’t look the same as most other people, but it should provide all the documentation you need to meet any requirement.
The form gives you the option to request your record by email, fax or mail. You should get it within three days if sent by email or fax or within two weeks if sent by mail, according to the health department website.
Tennesseans can also request a copy of their vaccination records – but, again, not the card specifically – by visiting their county public health departments, said Sarah Tanksley, a spokeswoman for the state health department.
Nashville, Memphis offer replacement COVID-19 vaccine cards
While most Tennesseans can’t get a new vaccination card, there are two exceptions.
Anyone who was vaccinated in Davidson County or Shelby County can get a duplicate from their respective county health agencies, which operate independently from the state health department.
In Shelby County, residents can order a new card by calling the local COVID-19 hotline, 901-222-6275. Replacement cards must then be picked up in person.
In Davidson County, residents can get a duplicate of their vaccination card on the second floor of the Lentz Public Health Center at 2500 Charlotte Ave. A Tennessean reporter was able to get a free replacement card at the center recently in under 10 minutes.
While the replacement process is quick, it might not stay that way. Joan Carr, a spokesperson for the Shelby County Health Department, said requests for replacement cards are climbing as more residents begin to travel. And Brian Todd, a spokesperson for the health department, said the agency is expecting a rush on cards now that businesses and events are requiring proof of vaccination.
So, if you need a replacement, you might want to grab one soon.
Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.