COVID-19 Vaccine Records FAQs

Created: August 17, 2021

Q: I lost my COVID-19 vaccination card. How can I get a replacement?
A: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends obtaining duplicate vaccination cards through the provider who administered the vaccine. If that was a pharmacy chain or health clinic, try contacting that facility. If you received your COVID-19 vaccine in Pennsylvania (outside of Philadelphia) and you are unable to get a replacement card from the provider where you received your vaccine, you may request a copy of your immunization records, which will include your COVID-19 vaccination and other immunizations, from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.  This is not a replacement CDC COVID-19 vaccination card. It is a report generated from the Pennsylvania Statewide Immunization Information System (PA-SIIS) that will be sent to you by email or postal mail.  

It is important to note that the PA DOH vaccination record, as well as the CDC vaccination card that individuals receive at the time of their vaccination, are both official proofs of vaccination.

Please visit the SIIS page for more information.  You may also call 877-774-4748 or email RA-DHVaxRecords@pa.gov if you have questions or need assistance.  

Q:  If I got my COVID-19 vaccine in Philadelphia or in another state, how do I get a replacement card?
A:  If you received your COVID-19 vaccine in Philadelphia, please contact Philly's COVID Call Center at 215-685-5488 or by email at covid@phila.gov. If you received your COVID-19 vaccine in another state, please visit the CDC's website for contact information.

Q: Why can't I get a new CDC card?
A: The white card that you received at the time of your vaccination is part of the kit that comes from the CDC and is included with the vaccine received by the provider who gave you the COVID-19 vaccine. The Pennsylvania Department of Health is not permitted to replicate this CDC card.

 Q: I submitted a request for my records and have not heard anything back. What should I do?
A: We are aware that there are a lot of individuals who may need to replace their immunization record for purposes like traveling or showing it to an employer.  We are experiencing a high volume of requests right now and we are processing them as quickly as possible in the order they are received. Please do not resubmit the form as that will create unnecessary delays.  We thank you for your patience and flexibility.

Q: Why do I have to provide a copy of my photo ID?
A:  This is required to make sure the person requesting immunizations records is who they say they are and that they are authorized to receive the records. 

Q:  What type of photo ID is accepted?
A:  The most common types of ID are a driver's license, state-issued identification card, passport, or student ID.  If you do not have any of these, you may visit the Acceptable ID page for a list of other kinds of identification we will accept.  Please remember to send only a copy and not your original ID.  If you have any questions or concerns about submitting a copy of your ID, please send us an email at RA-DHVaxRecords@pa.gov or call us at 877-774-4748 and we will contact you to provide assistance.   

Q: I received more than one record of immunizations with some of my vaccines listed on one report and others listed on another report.  Why is that?

A: This is probably due to having duplicate records in PA-SIIS.  Duplicate reporting in PA-SIIS does happen for different reasons, such as two different addresses, misspelled names, or different versions of names being used (i.e. Thomas, Tom, Tommy).  We work very hard to find and fix those data issues.