With vaccination mandates in place, Americans must prove their status at work, school, restaurants, and public social events upon request. As a result, COVID-19 vaccine cards, issued at each injection, have become valuable commodities, albeit inconvenient. Storing them on a smartphone makes it easier to share and relieves the fear of misplacing the card.
Instead of fumbling to get the oversized card out of a wallet or pocket, vaccination cards can be as easy as pushing a few buttons on a smartphone is easier. Fortunately, there are several methods to add digital proof of a COVID-19 vaccination record to a mobile device if a person knows how.
Perhaps, one of the easiest ways to add the card is to add a photo of the front and back. However, this method is not secure unless the smartphone is equipped with biometric authentication. It may also be challenging scrolling through images to locate the vaccination card unless it is kept in an easily retrievable folder.
Apps Offering COVID-19 Digital Proof of Vaccination Status
Another place to find verification is the website or app associated with the pharmacy that administered the vaccine doses. For example, Walgreens shows the name of the COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer and the date it was given. But, this could be as difficult as finding a photo or digging the card out of a wallet.
Both Google and Apple offer apps in their play stores for uploading COVID-19 vaccination cards that could be a solution. One of them is MyChart by Epic is one app available does not require adding sensitive information.
The app is used by most hospitals and many doctor’s offices across the nation. To locate the needed information, go to “My Record” and open the dropdown to reveal the proof of one or more COVID-19 shots.
Another window can be opened to give more specific information, including the date(s) given, the vaccine’s brand, and the serial number off of the vial.
Information found in the records section of My Chart is downloadable either through the app or when logging into the site online.
Another app is V-safe, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With this app, the user adds the information from their COVID-19 vaccination card.
After deciding to use an app or photograph, do not throw away the COVID-19 vaccine card in case an agency or establishment requires seeing the physical card.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
c|net: Lost your COVID-19 vaccine card? Other ways to prove that you’re vaccinated; by Dashia Starr
MyChart by Epic App: COVID-19 Information
CDC: Register for v-safe (www.vsafe.cdc.gov)
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Paul McManus’ Pixabay Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Cathy Milne-Ware
