As Americans get vaccinated in record numbers nationwide, people are taking to social media to share that they have been vaccinated. To date, over 100 million Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. While some are posting selfies or pictures of themselves getting the shot, others are posting their vaccination cards after getting one or both doses. Social media users are calling this the new “flex” or way to show off.
In what some are calling the “ultimate flex” University of Illinois sophomore gymnast Evan Manivong showed off his vaccination card after he tied his career-high score on the vault last month in a meet against Minnesota. The Kansas City native stuck out a perfect landing then pulled out a card from his uniform and flashed it to the audience as teammates cheered him on.
Posted to Twitter, the video has gone viral since, with many replying to the thread with their own celebrations, photos, and congratulating Manivong.
Some even took the opportunity to joke about how they will be using the vaccine card to rule our potential dating prospects.
The poster of the tweet that went viral this week though definitely takes the cake.
But while most praised Manivong for sharing his “vaccination selfie” and encouraging others to get vaccinated, some noted the harm in sharing vaccination cards on social media. Cybersecurity experts are warning individuals not to share their vaccination cards online because the cards share personal information that online scammers can use to steal your identity or create counterfeit cards.
While it may seem obvious to block out your information before posting the card, many social media users have posted pictures of their cards without doing so. Experts have thus suggested that if you do feel the need to post your card to edit out not only your personal information but the batch number of your dose. Additionally, some suggested just saying you were vaccinated without having to post the card itself to avoid public safety threats of fake cards. Whatever the case may be and however you celebrate stay safe, and for those who have gotten their doses congratulations on being vaccinated!