A 4-by-3-inch paper "vaccination record card" issued by the U.S.

The first thing experts recommend once you've been vaccinated is taking a digital photograph of both sides of your personal record card.

By contrast, you may want to print a copy of the photo of the vaccination card and store it in your wallet.

While some experts advise against having the original card laminated, so that booster shots of vaccine can be added if that becomes necessary, others say that's OK because a more sophisticated record-keeping system is likely to be in place by then. .

You can get your card laminated for free at office supply store Staples by using the code 81450 or at Office Depot with code 52516714. .

Make sure to store the original hard copy of your vaccine card someplace safe — you don't need to keep it on your person at all times and risk losing it.

Experts recommend keeping the original with other important documents or medical records and carrying just the digital copy.

"It doesn't need to be carried at all times at this point, unless you're traveling or doing something else where you'll have to provide proof of vaccination," Ranney said. .

Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said he keeps his vaccination record tucked into his passport (along with a card showing he's been vaccinated against yellow fever).

Not everyone has followed experts' advice to store vaccination records someplace secure.

Every time a vaccine is administered, the provider records it with the state's immunization registry. .

"Those flimsy pieces of paper aren't the only record of your vaccination status," Adalja said.

"Right now it's what we have as proof that you've gotten the vaccine, but it's not impossible to replace," said Dr.

There is something satisfying about leaving with the card copy record just in case," she said. .

Some experts lament that the government did not develop a standardized, digital proof of vaccination earlier.

government should have thought of a digital app early on and had it ready to go so that it activated when a person got a vaccine," Adalja said.

"The aim is to eventually provide New York residents a simple, voluntary and secure method for showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test result or certification of vaccination," IBM said in a press release last month

VaxYes is another tool that provides free, HIPAA-compliant digital vaccine records for inoculated individuals