Age verification has become part of our everyday life. Ever buy alcohol at a supermarket? Now vaccination verification is on the way on a volunteer basis for Connecticut residents and businesses such as restaurants and concert venues that want to provide extra protection for both workers and patrons.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced Dec. 20 the rollout of a digital health record as a QR code on a smartphone app. Hartford HealthCare, since September, has provided a scannable QR code for patients who use the MyChartPlus patient-record app. (If you don’t have an account yet, click here.) It’s part of the Vaccination Credential Initiative, a consortium that created a verifiable digital proof of vaccination called the SMART Health Card.
You can use the state’s QR code, also part of the SMART Health Card program, at any airport, concert venue or local business that has a SMART Health Card verifier app.
The state’s digital health record will be available at the CT WiZ Public Portal.
Other ways to prove you vaccinated:
- Call 860.509.7929 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for your official immunization record from the CT Immunization Information System (CT WiZ) at the state Department of Public Health.
- Get direct access to your immunization record from CT WiZ here.
- If your immunization information is not available at CT WiZ, fill out the form here.
If you’re a Hartford HealthCare patient, your proof-of-vaccination QR code is available now.
Here’s how to get started:
- In the MyChartPlus app, go to Menu and scroll down to My Record.
- Select COVID-19.
- At the bottom of the page, select QR codes.
- You’ll see separate QRs code for your vaccination and test results.
“As you get more boosters or additional boosters, it’s updated,” says Michael Schajer, Hartford HealthCare’s Chief Medical Information Officer, Ambulatory. “And your test results are updated every time you’re tested.”
Once scanned, the code only reveals your name, date of birth and vaccination or test information. No other information is shared. To prevent fakes, the QR code contains a digital signature that guarantees the card was issued from a verified location.
You can also print out the QR code. If you’re uncomfortable in a public setting using the MyChartPlus app, which stores all your medical records, consider saving a copy of the QR code to another secure app, such as CommonHealth from The Commons Project. Because MyChartPlus does not allow screenshots for security reasons, you can access the code on a computer screen, then scan it into the CommonHealth app using your smartphone’s camera.
Do not carry the white COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with you. Carry a copy with you, or add a photo to your smartphone. But the cards now have questionable validity because of the growing number of fakes.
This story was updated Dec. 20.