'Should I carry my vaxx card?' More businesses, schools, travel require vaxx

An Evanston, Ill. resident asked on Facebook, “Should we carry around our vaccination cards?”

His question is very common as people learn it will have to be used to participate in society.

When a person receives a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine—in the U.S. it is either the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson and Johnson inoculations—they would receive a white paper card stamped with the logo of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It should be treated the same way as other paper cards and documents issued by the U.S. government—the Social Security card. Or another vital paper document—the birth certificate.

It should not be laminated—to maintain its integrity as a U.S. government-issued document.

It should be protected in a plastic sleeve—like a zip-style sandwich bag or a document holder.

It should be bundled with other important documents and only taken out when necessary.

This past weekend, we saw several LGBT businesses in Chicago restrict access to patrons who do not have proof of vaccination.

GoPride.com reported that Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St., had separate sections for the fully vaccinated and restricted access to those without a vaccination card. It also reported that Mark Liberson's Hydrate, 3458 N. Halsted St., would turn away those without proof of vaccination.

More and more businesses across Illinois and the country have resolved that this is legal—under the guidance of local health departments like the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Chicago-area universities are now requiring a copy of the vaccination card to be submitted before entry: Columbia College, DePaul University, Loyola University, Northwestern University.

The travel industry is now warning people will need it for vacations.

Governments around the world are now requiring U.S. visitors to have the CDC card available to show at ports for entry.

U.S.-based airline companies like Delta, American, and United, have yet to decide if they will require COVID-19 vaccines for travel.

Qantas, the Australian flagship airline, announced that U.S. flyers will have to prove vaccination before they are allowed on any of their airplanes to and from its Australia and Oceania ports.

Within the U.S., Hawaii requires COVID-19 negative test results to fly into the state, but may waive certain restrictions with proof of vaccination.

American Cruise Lines, American Queen Steamboat Co., Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Oceania Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Victory Cruiselines, among others, have already made it a requirement to show proof of vaccination when booking their ship trip.

Even the lucrative sports industry is considering vaccinations—or negative COVID-19 test results—to enter.

Photos: Sidetrack returns to full capacity