Both Staples and Office Depot / Office Max are offering free lamination of your COVID vaccination card (Staples is currently offering this through May 1st and Office Depot through July 25th). I’m not sure whether or not it’s wise to laminate the card since it is possible that another booster shot will be necessary and I don’t know whether it could cause any issues with acceptance (probably not?), but the free price tag may be worth it for folks who know they need a way to protect it sooner rather than later.
The Deal
- Popular office supply store chains are offering free lamination of your COVID vaccination card as follows:
- Staples is offering free lamination in-store through May 1st with coupon code 81450
- Office Depot / Office Max is offering free lamination in-store through July 25th with 52516714.
Quick Thoughts
The timing here may be right for some readers headed to a Staples store anyway next week for fee-free Mastercard gift cards. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated, so I haven’t seen the card in person, but from pictures I’ve seen it looks pretty flimsy and the kind of awkward size that is likely to get bent up in a travel bag (my yellow fever vaccine card is half torn to shreds at this point and it is more compact than the COVID card). That is to say that I think the idea here to find a way to protect the card makes a lot of sense.
That said, I think I’ll probably hold off until I find a different solution. It is possible that a booster shot will be needed down the road and I’m not sure whether that would then require me to get a new unlaminated card or to carry two cards if they can’t write on the original, so I will continue to look for another solution (I’m thinking something like what is used to hold sports cards – hard enough to keep it from bending in my bag but possible to open to take the card out). Here’s hoping I can protect my vaccination card from the daily messy mishaps of a toddler and infant until I find a good solution (or that I find that solution before I get vaccinated!).
H/T: Johnny Jet
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I’m just going with the Yellow Star thing ,It worked out good in the past…no?
[…] The one seemingly simple way to preserve the card from the upcoming wear and tear would be to laminate it. Protecting it from spills, folds and accidental tears seems a no-brainer. To help, office supply stores Staples and Office Depot/Office Max have both offered to laminate the cards for free. […]
[…] Hat tip to FM […]
Thanks for the H/T!
I bought a clear coin purse on Amazon to carry mine.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08F4Z6V2T/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_EQXXD18NWFQ6PJSSH2NK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I made a few copies and laminated a copy. Also snap a photo (both sides) to put on you phone. Hoping for a vaccine passport that has more validity than a paper form. I don’t see difficultly for government to let one “opt in” to access their Covid vaccine info (name, birthdate, location, and date given, and type of vaccine) and then create a file with basic info (maybe Driver’s License ID #) with a code as to if you are vaccinated fully, 1st dose, etc. Then airlines, ships, etc. can cross reference to this file to get a Yes or No or Partial response for that person.
Someone who got her vaccine card laminated posted a photo in a private Facebook group I follow. The stickers that listed the vaccine name and batch had turned solid black. That’s in addition to the potential issues with boosters being recorded on the same card. Not recommended!
UltraPro makes two sizes of top loaders that would work (apparently there are two different sizes of CDC cards): 3-1/2″ X 5-1/8″ and 4” X 6”.
I’m waiting until everyone in my extended family has received their first dose and then I’m buying a 25-pack of the top loaders. They’re designed for sports cards and such and are nice and sturdy.
Interesting. My card is 3″ x 4″
Not everyone gets a “CDC” card. If you got vaccinated at one of the retail pharmacies, it’s a sheet of paper and has the pharmacy’s name where the CDC logo is supposed to be.
Interesting… That’s not true at all retail pharmacies. I got mine at Rite-Aid and it has the CDC and Dept of Health & Human Services logos. No Rite-Aid logo anywhere to be seen
I said one, not all. Walgreens. Did I imply all of them? Hmmm…maybe i did. Not intentional, though.
A matching-size heavy plastic envelope would be a better solution. The card does, indeed, have two extra slots for “other” in addition to 1st Dose and 2nd Dose so it looks like they’re contemplating the possibility of additional boosters.
There are no security features on the card at all, so I’d be surprised if it turns out to be useful for vaccination identification. It would be very easy to duplicate.
I had staples make a copy and laminated the copy.