Better Business Bureau: Don't Post COVID-19 Vaccine Card on Social Media

Key TakeawaysThe Better Business Bureau advises against posting a picture of your vaccination card on social media to prevent identity theft and vaccine scams.Instead, they are promoting vaccine stickers to help spread the vaccine word without sharing private information.

Key Takeaways

The Better Business Bureau advises against posting a picture of your vaccination card on social media to prevent identity theft and vaccine scams.Instead, they are promoting vaccine stickers to help spread the vaccine word without sharing private information.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is advising people not to post their COVID-19 vaccination card on social media due to the private information featured including your full name, birth date, and where you received your immunization, which can make you vulnerable to identity theft and possible vaccine scams.

How COVID-19 Vaccination Cards Work

Although the personal information listed on the vaccination card isn’t more than what many people have already posted on their various social media accounts, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) explains that tidbits of personal information like this can help identity thieves put together a profile of a person, making it easier to steal your identity and access your personal accounts.

“I took mine [photo] down after I heard that people were possibly stealing photos to make false vaccine records,” Stephanie Van Derbur, RN, a patient placement coordinator at HCA Healthcare in Utah, tells Verywell. “But I did post about my experience to spread the word.”

What This Means For YouMake sure to check your privacy settings on all your social media platforms. Be cautious of the amount of information you post on social media as it enables those that want to steal your personal information. Share a picture of your “I got vaccinated” sticker instead of a photo of your vaccine card.

What This Means For You

Make sure to check your privacy settings on all your social media platforms. Be cautious of the amount of information you post on social media as it enables those that want to steal your personal information. Share a picture of your “I got vaccinated” sticker instead of a photo of your vaccine card.

Vaccine Scams

Historically, a public emergency usually attracts the work of scammers who try to take advantage of the vulnerable, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception.

The BBB cited a news report detailing a scam that sold fake vaccination cards to people on eBay and points to other COVID-19 related scams including:

The BBB advises that you stay alert to these scams, avoid sharing personal information on social media, and make sure your privacy settings are strict to help prevent you or your personal information from falling victim to a scam.

Social Media Safety

Both the BBB and the FTC are promoting the use of stickersto help share your vaccination milestone and encourage others to get vaccinated. Stickers, similar to the familiar “I Voted” stickers, can help spread the word without sharing any personal information.

‘It’s an Act of Love’: Chicago Teacher Shares Experience Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine

The BBB recommends the following tips on how to share safely on social media:

Sharing Your Vaccine Experience

With COVID-19 vaccinations now being administered and developed around the world, we’re making progress against the pandemic. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccine acceptance is the next hurdle we need to overcome.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Tracker: Week of Feb. 1

It is not enough to just provide information on the vaccine; we also need to utilize the main factors that drive vaccination acceptance and behavior—an enabling environment, social influences, and motivation.

According to a recent 1,000-personVerywell Health survey, people are more likely to say they’ll get the COVID-19 vaccine if they know someone else who has already been vaccinated. Sixty-one percent of respondents who know a vaccinated person say they’d get vaccinated themselves, while only 46% of those who don’t personally know a vaccinated person say they will.

Half Of Americans Say They’ll Take a COVID-19 Vaccine—Here’s What The Other Half Thinks

Despite the BBB’s recommendations, many will still continue to share their vaccine cards as a way to share their experience with others. If you do decide to post it, consider blocking out your personal information or adjusting your privacy settings.

“I think publicizing the [vaccine] experience is good,”Elizabeth Hanes, RN,a former nurse and freelance health writer, tells Verywell. “Aside from the concerns noted above, if posting at least part of your vaccine card provides a fun illustration, then why not?”

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Better Business Bureau.Don’t share your COVID-19 vaccine card on social media.The Federal Trade Commission.Social media is no place for vaccination cards.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: COVID clinical study scams promise big bucks.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: COVID contact tracing work inspires copycat scams.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: Preparing for mask mandates? Watch out for online cons.Better Business Bureau.Government impostor scams prey on fear during pandemic, BBB study finds.World Health Organization.Vaccine acceptance is the next hurdle.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The Better Business Bureau.Don’t share your COVID-19 vaccine card on social media.The Federal Trade Commission.Social media is no place for vaccination cards.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: COVID clinical study scams promise big bucks.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: COVID contact tracing work inspires copycat scams.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: Preparing for mask mandates? Watch out for online cons.Better Business Bureau.Government impostor scams prey on fear during pandemic, BBB study finds.World Health Organization.Vaccine acceptance is the next hurdle.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

The Better Business Bureau.Don’t share your COVID-19 vaccine card on social media.The Federal Trade Commission.Social media is no place for vaccination cards.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: COVID clinical study scams promise big bucks.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: COVID contact tracing work inspires copycat scams.Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: Preparing for mask mandates? Watch out for online cons.Better Business Bureau.Government impostor scams prey on fear during pandemic, BBB study finds.World Health Organization.Vaccine acceptance is the next hurdle.

The Better Business Bureau.Don’t share your COVID-19 vaccine card on social media.

The Federal Trade Commission.Social media is no place for vaccination cards.

Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: COVID clinical study scams promise big bucks.

Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: COVID contact tracing work inspires copycat scams.

Better Business Bureau.BBB Scam Alert: Preparing for mask mandates? Watch out for online cons.

Better Business Bureau.Government impostor scams prey on fear during pandemic, BBB study finds.

World Health Organization.Vaccine acceptance is the next hurdle.

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