# The size of vaccination cards **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 24, 2021, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552 "2021-03-24T05:55:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/1 "2021-03-24T05:55:35Z")
Vaccination cards, or at least the one I got, are 4" x 3". Why aren’t they the size of credit cards (3-3/8" x 2-1/8"), so they can fit into a wallet? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/2 "2021-03-24T06:21:46Z")
When I was waiting in the observation area after my 1st shot, I overheard someone there making the same complaint. His explanation was along the lines: They were designed by a government bureaucrat. What did you expect? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/3 "2021-03-24T11:43:19Z")
My WAG is they were designed to be medical records not carrying cards. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/4 "2021-03-24T12:00:58Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > My WAG is they were designed to be medical records not carrying cards That would be my guess as well. These vaccine cards aren’t anything knew and I’m guessing, back in the day, know one was thinking that someday people may need/want to prove they had a given vaccine on a daily basis. Also, isn’t 4x3 a common index size card? It may have been the same size as other medical records at the time so it could be filed away with everything else (I’m picturing a doctor’s office keeping everything in a card catalog). Having said that, you could certainly photocopy it and reduce it (or scan and print it smaller) to get it down to that size, though I suppose people may think it’s fake. My plan is to keep it my glove compartment. I don’t know that I’ll need it for anything, but at least if I do, I’ll have it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/5 "2021-03-24T13:07:24Z")
US index cards are 3"x5". Passports worldwide are about 3-1/2" x 5". I suspect the vaccination card size was meant to fit inside your passport. The old yellow WHO vaccination books where/are 3x5. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/6 "2021-03-24T13:13:15Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Having said that, you could certainly photocopy it and reduce it (or scan and print it smaller) to get it down to that size, though I suppose people may think it’s fake. > My plan is to keep it my glove compartment. I don’t know that I’ll need it for anything, but at least if I do, I’ll have it. I heard a suggestion this morning to keep a copy of it on your phone. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/7 "2021-03-24T23:43:11Z")
It’s obvious the U.S. cards are bad — easy to counterfeit, and inconvenient for most men to carry (my wife has her’s in her pocketbook). Have any countries done far better? ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/8 "2021-03-24T23:50:38Z")
Why are you carrying it around is the question. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/9 "2021-03-24T23:56:14Z")
Maybe because of articles like this? > **[COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Could Be Required for Travel and Other Activities](https://people.com/health/covid-19-vaccination-cards-could-be-required/)** > > Public health experts strongly recommend people keep their vaccination card handy, as it will prove immunization status ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/10 "2021-03-25T00:00:52Z")
Well, I doubt that’s going to happen except for international travel and some high risk situations. Also, it isn’t remotely the case currently so yes, it’s odd to be carrying it around in your purse at the moment. It’s going to get beat up and dogeared for no reason. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/11 "2021-03-25T00:08:12Z")
> [@FigNorton](#): > > Why are you carrying it around is the question. I’m not usually. I went to the dentist, for the first time in 15 months, yesterday and brought it just in case they were interested. I was not asked for it. Has anyone been asked to see their U.S. card by someone other the the second shot inoculator? Ideally, if the card had better security features, it would be used to give privileges, at certain venues, to incentivize vaccination. I know the vaccine is still in short supply overall. But my (barely) senior citizen wife and I, who got our second shots this past Saturday, have lately gotten repeated invitations from hospitals. Tonight a pharmacy (whose web site we registered on months ago) called with a jab offer. So the transition from scarcity to need for incentives is getting close. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/12 "2021-03-25T00:12:53Z")
> [@FigNorton](#): > > Why are you carrying it around is the question. Free Krispy Kreme. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/13 "2021-03-25T00:35:16Z")
But even that article doesn’t say to carry it around, just to keep it with important documents like passports and social security cards. I don’t carry my passport around all the time just in case I need it - I mean, I might need it to go to a baseball game or something, but I’ll know in advance that I’m going. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/14 "2021-03-25T00:44:58Z")
That’s what I was going to say. In all seriousness, I will keep it, once I have it, with important documents, with a copy of it accessible via my phone or a computer. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/15 "2021-03-25T01:02:29Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Free Krispy Kreme. Googled and see what you mean. Except that the [strange provision to not piss off anti-vaxxers](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/03/krispy-kreme-free-doughnut-antivaxxers.html) is targeted to your exact screen name. I can’t figure out if it would be cheating for me to take the free Monday no-vax coffee. That I would consume. Their signature product may be too sweet for me, but I will be finding out. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/16 "2021-03-25T03:47:36Z")
WA State is maybe 2x3". Barely fits in half of my wallet I hope that for domestic air travel starting maybe July, it will be required to go thru airport security. Show anti-vaxxer that there are some personal advantages in getting poked (not to mention herd immunity, slowing mutations, avoiding killing someone’s grandma, ad nauseum) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/17 "2021-03-25T03:51:57Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > I hope that for domestic air travel starting maybe July, it will be required to go thru airport security. I can’t imagine that the existing CDC card is going to be any good for verifying one’s vaccination status - it’s an unlaminated paper card with handwritten information on it and no biometrics or anti-fraud measures, after all. All it’d take would be a printer/scanner, MS Paint, a piece of cardstock, and a paper cutter, and I could turn mine into a card certifying that Haywood Jablomi has been fully vaccinated. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/18 "2021-03-25T03:57:21Z")
Fair point. Waiting on both domestic and international solutions to this. Otherwise, I’ll never be able to take another business trip to Asia without quarantining. And, I personally want anti-vaxxers that don’t care about being a public health hazard to have some incentives to getting poked. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-vaccination-cards/938552/19 "2021-03-25T15:55:24Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I can’t imagine that the existing CDC card is going to be any good for verifying one’s vaccination status - it’s an unlaminated paper card with handwritten information on it and no biometrics or anti-fraud measures, after all. All it’d take would be a printer/scanner, MS Paint, a piece of cardstock, and a paper cutter, and I could turn mine into a card certifying that Haywood Jablomi has been fully vaccinated. Totally - these cards won’t ever be sanctioned ID. [Our vaccine cards in the UK](https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/07/health/vaccine-card-intl-scli-gbr/index.html) are CC sized, but beyond that, they’re just filled in by hand, for your own records. Heck, it’s even got a loveheart on it. Presumably I’ll need to show mine when I go for my second jab, but it isn’t ever going to be any good as a vaccine ‘passport’. The EU have been talking about introducing a digital vaccine passport - presumably that will be more secure and require better records than a piece of card!