Province exploring immunization cards for those who get COVID-19 vaccine

WINNIPEG – If you get the COVID-19 vaccine, would you like a card that proves it?

Physicians in Manitoba are pushing the provincial government to issue COVID-19 vaccination cards to prevent a potential rush of people who may want proof once they are given the green light to travel, head to music festivals and attend sporting events when those activities resume.

“Doctors Manitoba supports an official proof of COVID immunization card. A vaccine card can be useful for many reasons, including patient safety,” reads a statement from Doctors Manitoba.

“Providing a card proactively will avoid doctors’ offices or public health officials being flooded with avoidable calls to get proof of immunization.”

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Ontario’s health minister has said the province plans on issuing proof of vaccination cards to all residents who received the vaccine, but Manitoba still hasn’t decided what type of documentation it will issue to citizens who choose to get vaccinated.

Dr. Joss Reimer says proof of immunization documentation is something currently being explored in Manitoba with the belief it will be required in some capacity down the road.

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“We know that may happen, other countries may have different rules, events may create their own rules. And so, Manitoba is currently working on a few different options,” said Reimer.

Reimer says no final decisions have been made on what the proof of immunization will look like, but the province is exploring an online option that could provide results for vaccine status, or alternatively mail out cards similar to a driver’s license.

She says one of the challenges in providing these documents, is making sure whatever people present to board a plane or enter a venue can be trusted and verified at point of entry.

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“One of the challenges – and we’re trying to take the time right now to get it right – is making sure it’s something that will be accepted and trusted and be secure. So, rather than a piece of paper where anyone can write down what vaccine someone had, we’re looking through our different mechanisms to see if we can do something secure and difficult to tamper with,” she said.

Doctors Manitoba says it is encouraged by how receptive the government has been on physicians’ advice to develop vaccine cards and is hopeful a provincial solution will be provided in the weeks ahead.