You may need your vaccination record to enter restaurants, gyms, and other places across the country.
US Department of Defense
For the latest news and information on the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.
Have you received your booster yet? With Omicron, will you need a fourth dose of vaccine? Vaccine makers are preparing a specific Omicron booster. If the new version is as bad as some fear, the piece of paper containing your vaccination records could be ruined.
Many counties and cities require you to show your vaccination card and ID to enter restaurants, bars and theaters (or even your workplace), you must take your vaccines with you if you want to enter. Records have to be kept. However, you do not need to carry the printed version in your wallet or purse. Instead, we recommend that you store it in your phone to make your life easier by preventing loss or damage. You take your phone everywhere, don’t you?
Don’t know where to start? If you have an Android phone or iPhone, or if there’s a specific app in your state, we’ll walk you through all the ways you can store your Immunization card on your phone, including whether you which methods can be used. Keep in mind that if you receive a booster dose, you must fill out your vaccination card. For more information on the coronavirus, here are the latest long news and what to know when mixing up your booster shot. This story was recently updated.
Which states use the Vaccination Records app?
Several states have apps that allow their residents to store digital versions of their vaccination cards on their phones, including California, Colorado, Hawaii, New York and Oregon.
For example, residents of Colorado can download the myColorado app. It requires you to create an account, verify your identity, and then add your digital driver’s license to your phone. After doing that, you can add your myVaccin folder to the application.
Louisiana’s LA Wallet app takes a similar approach to Colorado’s, letting you add your driver’s license and proof of vaccinations to your phone.
The California version requires you to fill out a form to verify your identity, after which you’ll receive a text or email with a link to a QR code that you can save on your phone. Once scanned, the code will present proof of vaccination. The link will also include a digital copy of your vaccination record.
Illinois residents can use VaxVerify to show proof. The app uses Experian for identity verification.
MyIR Mobile is another application used by many state health departments to provide you with a digital copy of your vaccination card. Currently, if you live in Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Dakota, Washington, West Virginia or Washington, DC, this is the app you will use.
Delaware, New Mexico and Michigan also use web portals that allow residents to access their vaccination status online.
New Yorkers have two app options, including the Excelsior Pass app and NYC Safe.
We’ll continue to monitor other states that have apps and features to store your vaccine card online.
What if there is no app in my state to store my card?
If your state doesn’t have an iPhone or Android app to store your map, there are other ways to store it on your phone. There isn’t a single online system or app in the United States that you can use to show proof of vaccination on your phone. Instead, what constitutes evidence varies by city, county, and even company.
Some places may accept a photo of your vaccination record. It’s a confusing mess, to say the least. I urge you to take a few minutes to research what your city, county or state will accept as evidence, as this can vary.
For example, concert producer AEG will accept “a physical copy of a vaccination registration card, a digital copy of that card, or other locally authorized evidence” submitted.