Kern County Public Health Department warns against posting vaccination cards online

People are posting celebratory photos of their vaccination cards on social media but officials say they shouldn't.

CARDS WHETHER WE'VE GOTTEN THESHOT OR NOT.PEOPLE ARE POSTING THEIR CARDSONLINE TO CELEBRATE THEIRVACCINATION.

BUT THE PUBLICHEALTH DEPARTMENT?SAYS WE SHOULDN'T."THE PERSONAL INFORMATION THATSCAMMERS COLLECT CAN CAUSE HARM.SCAMMERS MAY FRAUDULENTLY BUILDFEDERAL HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS ORCOMMIT MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT."THIS IS A VIDEO MADE BY THE U-SDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ANDHUMAN SERVICES.

WARNING USAGAINST SHARINGMEDICAL INFORMATION WHEN ITCOMES TO COVID-19.CELEBRATORY PHOTOS OFVACCINATION CARDS HAVE BEENCIRCULATING ON SOCIAL MEDIA...AND THE KERN COUNTY PUBLICHEALTH DEPARTMENT IS CONCERNED."AS CELEBRATORY AS, YOU KNOW,THEEVENT OF GETTING THE VACCINE CANBE, IT CERTAINLY DOES POSE ARISK TO PUTTHIS TYPE OF INFORMATION OUT ONSOCIAL MEDIA."PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICERMICHELLE CORSON SAYSPOSTING YOUR CARD ONLINE CAN BEDANGEROUS.GRAPHIC VACCINATION CARDS SHOWMORE THAN JUSTYOUR NAME AND BIRTH DATE.THEY SHOW MEDICALLY SENSITIVEINFORMATION LIKEYOUR VACCINE LOT NUMBER.

CLINICLOCATION.

AND THE TYPE OFVACCINE YOU WERE GIVEN."THIS IS ALL REALLY IMPORTANTINFORMATION THAT IS NOT MEANT TOBE SHARED WITH THE WORLD.

THISIS VERYPRIVATE INFORMATION.

THIS ISPART OF YOUR MEDICAL RECORD."CORSON SAYS IDENTITY THEFT HASBECOME AN ESPECIALLY BIGISSUE DURING THE PANDEMIC.PLUS.

PEOPLE COULD USE YOURSOCIAL MEDIA POST TO FORGE AFAKE VACCINATION CARD.

"IFANYONE WERE TO GO TO THE EXTENTOFTRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DUPLICATEYOUR CARD AND GO AND GET THATADDITIONAL VACCINE, WE KNOWTHAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS ARECAPABLE OF A LOT OFTHINGS AND WE JUST WOULDN'T WANTTHIS INFORMATION TO GET IN THEWRONGHANDS."SO WHILE YOU MAY BE EXCITED TOPOST ABOUT YOUR VACCINE.REMEMBER THAT SHARING YOURVACCINATION CARD ON SOCIALMEDIA MEANS YOU'RE POSTINGMEDICAL INFORMATION."WE WOULD JUST ADVISE YOU TOCELEBRATE IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

WETHINK IT'S FANTASTIC THAT PEOPLEAREEXCITED AND WANT TO GO ONLINEAND SAY, "LOOK, I GOT MY COVIDVACCINE.'"CORSON SAYS SOME VACCINATIONCLINICS HAND OUTSTICKERS YOU CAN POST WITH..

ORLOOK AT DIFFERENT SOCIALMEDIA PLATFORMS TO SEE IF THEYHAVE A FRAME OR FILTER TO POSTWITH.WE'VE SEEN REQUIREMENTS TO PROVEYOU WERE TESTEDFOR COVID BEFORE TRAVELING.COULD THESE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTSBE AN ISSUE IF WE NEEDTO PROVE WE WERE VACCINATEDBEFORETRAVELING IN THE FUTURE?THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

THEPUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTSAYS WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEEWHAT KIND OF REQUIREMENTSTHERE WILL BE IN THE FUTURE..BUT IN THE MEANTIME.THAT'S JUST ANOTHER REASON TOREMEMBER OUR VACCINATIONCARDS ARE VALUABLE, PRIVATE,MEDICAL INFORMATIONTHAT SHOULDN'T BE POSTED ONLINE.AND IF YOU ARE AN AGRICULTURALWORKER - YOU HAVE THE CHANCETO BE VACCINATED THIS WEEKEND.THE GROUP "UNITED AGAINSTCOVID-19" IS HOSTING AVACCINATION CLINIC FOR THESEWORKERS TOMORROW ANDSUNDAY.IT'S HAPPENING IN LAMONT FROM 10A-M TO 6 P-M BOTH DAYS.THERE HAS BEEN TALK ABOUTSHOWING TEST RESULTS TOTRAVEL..COULD THESE POSTS BE AN ISSUE INTHE FUTURE??'S A GREAT QUESTION.

THE PUBLICHEALTH DEPARTMENSAYS WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEEWHAT KIND OF REQUIREMENTSTHERE WILL BE IN THE FUTURE..AND IF YOU ARE AN AGRICULTURALWORKER - YOU HAVE THE CHANTO BE VA