PORTLAND, Ore. — Every adult will soon be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon and Washington and that means millions more people will soon have a vaccination card. The small index card includes your name, birth date, what shot you received, and what date you're supposed to return for your second shot
Several viewers have emailed the KGW VERIFY team questions regarding the cards. Arleen asked:
"I read that Office Depot is offering to laminate vaccination cards for free with a discount code. Is that acceptable/legal? While it's not an official government document, it's my understanding that certain government documents cannot be laminated.”
Staples and Office Depot have announced customers can upgrade the durability of their vaccination cards with free lamination.
Office Depot said it will offer lamination services for vaccine cards for free through Saturday, July 25. Customers can visit Office Depot or OfficeMax store and provide coupon code "52516714" at checkout for the free service.
A spokesperson for Staples told CNN that the lamination service is available at all Staples locations in the U.S. and currently does not yet have an end date.
KGW confirmed there are no guidelines from the CDC advising people against laminating the cards. Although a Staples spokesperson told WUSA's VERIFY team, it's important to note how the card was printed before it's laminated.
"If your card has stickers that were printed using a thermal printer, then yes, the heat used during the lamination process will turn the sticker black and ruin it," a statement from the company reads.
To tell if the sticker is a thermal one, Staples said to gently scratch it with your fingernail. If the scratch turns black, the sticker is thermal, and you shouldn't laminate the original card. Instead, make a photocopy of your card and, laminate that one. You can keep your original one someplace safe.
Several health experts told MarketWatch people should wait until they have their second shot so the card is fully filled out before it's covered in plastic.
The Oregon Health Authority recommends making a copy or taking a picture of your vaccination card in case you lose it.
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