The government plans to issue COVID-19 vaccination cards as the vaccines roll out as a reminder to people for when to get their second dose.
"For most COVID-19 vaccine products, two doses of vaccine, separated by 21 or 28 days, will be needed," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in an Oct. 29 vaccination program manual. "Second-dose reminders for vaccine recipients will be critical to ensure compliance with vaccine dosing intervals and achieve optimal vaccine effectiveness."
The Department of Defense, which is handling delivery of the vaccine under Operation Warp Speed, released a photo of the card and a photo of all the items in the vaccination kit.
The health provider giving the shots will fill out the card with the name of the vaccine manufacturer, lot number, the date of the shot, the name of the health care provider or clinic that provided it and when it's time for the patient to come in for the second shot.
Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines, which are currently seeking emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and could be rolled out this month, require a second dose.
"Because different COVID-19 vaccine products will not be interchangeable, a vaccine recipient's second dose must be from the same manufacturer as their first dose," the CDC wrote.
An advisory panel recommended to the CDC this week that health care workers and long-term care residents be first in line to get the vaccine.
Supply chain problems and later-than-expected clinical trial results mean Pfizer will be producing about 50 million doses (enough to inoculate 25 million people) by the end of the year, down from its original target of 100 million, Wall Street Journal reports. The company reportedly still plans to roll out more than 1 billion doses in 2021.
Health officials have said the general public is not likely to start getting the vaccine until March or April.
