California has launched a COVID-19 vaccine verification system that provides digital replicas of traditional wallet-sized paper cards, in an effort that officials say will make it easier for residents to provide tests inoculation if necessary.
The new portal for accessing electronic records, officials said, is not the same as a vaccination “passport,” which has become politically controversial, but rather a simple convenience that offers residents an alternative to physical tokens that they may not want to take with them or may have lost.
Residents are not required to obtain electronic records, officials emphasized, and there are no settings where the state requires residents to provide proof of vaccination as the only option for entry.
But in the wake of California's economic reopening, individual businesses or places, or even county-level health officials, may choose to mandate vaccine verification in certain cases, making the digital option be even more attractive.
Announcement“We're looking to roll this out to whoever wants to use it,” said Amy Tong, the state's chief information officer and director of the California Department of State.
Everyone who has been vaccinated against COVID-19 should have received a paper card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detailing where and when they were vaccinated, as well as the vaccine brand.
The new electronic option provides the same information, as well as a QR code that can be scanned to confirm its authenticity.
More than 22 million Californians have received at least one dose of the vaccine to date, federal figures show, so it's "likely someone misplaced" their physical record, state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan.
“This is really no different than someone's vaccination card,” he explained to reporters. "It's an optional tool that Californians can use a little more conveniently, being one of the many ways that people can show and verify that they've been inoculated."
The new online portal, accessible through myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov, is drawn from records maintained and accessible through the state's immunization data systems.
“Obviously, right now with the pandemic, people just want to have their specific COVID records. So this capability is based on this very thing,” Tong said.
Once on the state's new website, residents will be asked to provide their name, date of birth, and an email or cell phone number they used when they got vaccinated.
They will also need to create a personal identification number that can then be used to access a digital copy of their immunization record that will be sent directly to them via the email address or phone number on file.
State officials say those who have trouble accessing the portal should verify that their information is correct and that they are using an email address or phone number associated with their immunization record. If problems persist, or if a record is incorrect or incomplete, residents can contact the COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255 or request help online through the Department of Health's virtual assistant California Public at cdph.ca.gov/covidvaccinerecord.
Two hours after the entity announced the new portal, two residents had already contacted The Times to complain that they had trouble accessing their records and that troubleshooting systems seemed overwhelmed.
Governor Gavin Newsom hinted at the announcement earlier this week, saying an electronic version of a paper immunization card would soon be available, though it wouldn't be a “passport” nor a requirement.
Officials re-emphasized this point in explaining the new portal, writing that residents “are not required to obtain a digital record of their COVID-19 inoculation” and that “the state will not implement a mandatory passport system in California".
Under the entity's reopening guidelines that went into effect this week, the only scenario in which state authorities could require someone to prove their vaccination status as a condition of entering a space would be during an indoor event with at least 5,000 people, such as sporting events or a convention. However, in that case, attendees may also present documentation of a negative coronavirus test for entry.
An inoculation test or negative test is also recommended, but not required, for outdoor events with at least 10,000 attendees.
However, individual jurisdictions, companies, or locations may implement more stringent requirements. For example, San Francisco has mandated that if a venue accepts self-certification as evidence of vaccination for an indoor event with more than 5,000 people, then everyone within the venue 2 years or older must wear a face covering.
A person's immunization status also plays a role when it comes to face coverings.
Starting this week, Californians who are fully inoculated against COVID-19 can go without a face covering in most situations. Those who are not vaccinated, on the other hand, must still use this protection in closed public settings.
Depending on the entity, businesses or venues may allow customers to attest that they are vaccinated, require all customers to wear a face covering, or implement some type of immunization verification system.
In addition, California took steps Thursday to allow most fully inoculated employees in many workplaces to stop wearing face coverings while in the workplace. Employers have to document the vaccination status of workers if they are going to remain maskless indoors, but they do not have to keep copies of vaccination cards, and employees can also attest to themselves.
The new digital registry would provide a way forward for those seeking some form of verification.
California's digital registry follows in the footsteps of New York, which became the first state in the nation to offer government-issued digital proof of immunization against COVID-19, or of a negative test result of coronavirus.
Known as the Excelsior Pass, it was designed by IBM using health data provided by the New York City and state immunization databases. Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium have begun accepting it, although they also accept paper inoculation cards issued by the CDC.
With the federal government unwilling to create or endorse a universal digital health app or pass, several healthcare and tech companies are trying to fill the gap, including New York tech company Clear and Carbon Health , a San Francisco healthcare company with 75 primary and urgent services, as well as care centers across the country.
Clear's digital pass pulls vaccination data and negative test results from partner companies like Walmart, Sam's Club and Atlantic Health System. The pass is being accepted by more than 60 organizations in the United States, including MGM Resorts, the San Francisco Giants, NBA stadiums and the state of Hawaii.
Carbon Health facilities are the source of immunization data and negative test results for your digital pass.
Times staff writers Hugo Martín and Rong-Gong Lin II contributed to this article.
If you want to read this article in Spanish, click here.