Date: June 18, 2021
Number: NR21-196

Contact: CDPHpress@cdph.ca.gov or newsroom@state.ca.gov

Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record offers private and secure access to vaccination information

Users receive a QR code to maintain privacy, security, and ease of access to COVID-19 vaccine record

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Department of Public Health and California Department of Technology announced a new Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record for Californians, available at myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov. The tool is a convenient option for Californians who received a COVID-19 vaccination to access their record from the state's immunization registry systems.

"While CDPH recommends that vaccinated Californians keep their paper CDC card in a safe and secure place, we recognize that some people might prefer an electronic version," said California State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. "And if one of the state's nearly 20 million vaccinated Californians misplaces their paper card, the Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record provides a convenient backup."

California's Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record follows national standards for security and privacy, is built by the state, and provides Californians a way to view and save their vaccine record.

"We worked with CDPH, tech industry leaders, and consulted with California's top businesses, service and event purveyors to create a system that works well for all sectors," said Amy Tong, State CIO and Director of the California Department of Technology. "We achieved our goal to quickly produce an intuitive portal that offers Californians another way, and an easier way, to access their own COVID-19 immunization history."

The Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record is easy to use: a person enters their name, date of birth, and an email or mobile phone number associated with their vaccine record. After creating a 4-digit PIN, the user receives a link to their vaccine record that will open upon re-entry of the PIN.

The record shows the same information as the paper CDC vaccine card: name, date of birth, date of vaccinations, and vaccine manufacturer. It also includes a QR code that makes these same details readable by a QR scanner. Once the digital record is received, individuals are encouraged to screenshot the information and save it to their phone files or camera roll.

By embracing the open-source SMART Health Card Framework, California joins a growing consortium of public and private organizations – like UC Health, EPIC, and Cerner – empowering individuals to access official copies of their immunization data records. The VCI.org coalition is dedicated to improving privacy and security of patient information, making medical records portable and reducing healthcare fraud. Businesses that incorporate QR scanning into their own systems must adhere to the SMART Health Card Framework developed by VCI™.

"Empowering all individuals with the opportunity and choice of managing their personal vaccination records securely and conveniently is the hallmark of the VCI coalition and The SMART Health Card Framework," said Dr. Brian Anderson, Chief Digital Physician at MITRE and a Co-founder of VCI. "The framework allows individuals to control their personal health information and how they share that record."

For more information about the Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record, visit covid19.ca.gov. Californians can correct or update their immunization record at cdph.ca.gov/covidvaccinerecord.