NEW YORK — As U.S.

health officials try to get

COVID-19 vaccines to people

more quickly, it’s already

time for some people to get

their second shots.

So who’s keeping track to

make sure you get the correct

second dose, and on time?

And who can see that information?

It’s one of the many logistical

issues health officials

have been sorting out to pull

off the country’s largest vaccination

campaign. The first

COVID-19 vaccines available

in the U.S. require two

doses taken weeks apart.

Other vaccines in the pipeline

might not require two doses,

but the record keeping for

those would work the same

way.

Here’s a look at how vaccinations

are being tracked.

What’s needed for my

first shot?

Once vaccines become

widely available in coming

months, the pharmacy, health

clinic or doctor’s office

where you get your shot will

ask for basic information,

such as your name, date of

birth and gender.

You might also be asked

for other information, such as

your race and any health condition

that could put you at

higher risk for a severe case

of COVID-19. But exactly

what you’re asked about will

vary depending on where you

go.

The shots are free, but

you’ll likely be asked for

your insurance information if

you have it.

Will I get a reminder for

the second shot?

You’ll get a vaccination

record card that says when

and where you got your first

shot, and what kind it was.

Pharmacies, clinics and doctor’s

offices will also likely

send reminders, including by

text, email or phone.

The timing doesn’t have

to be exact. The Pfizer doses

are supposed to be three

weeks apart, and the Moderna

doses four weeks apart.

But the CDC notes that doses

given within four days of

those milestones are fine.

Will there be a record of

my vaccination?

Providers should have a

record of your vaccination in

their systems. They’ll also be

entering the information into

existing state or local immunization

registries, which are

used to record childhood and

other vaccinations. That will

include details like which

vaccine you got, and when.

So if you go to a pharmacy

in another part of town

for your second shot, they

should be able to look up the

details of your first.

To give health officials