State Announces Access to Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Records

State Announces Access to Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Records
A health worker loads syringes with the vaccine on the first day of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine being made available to residents at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 11, 2021. (Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo)
City News Service
6/18/2021
Updated:
6/18/2021

LOS ANGELES—A digital coronavirus vaccine record is now available for all Californians to access from the state’s immunization registry, health officials announced.

According to the California Department of Public Health and the Department of Technology, the new Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record for Californians is available online.

The tool allows Californians who received a COVID-19 vaccination to receive a QR code to access their private record.

“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 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.'’

CDPH officials said California’s Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record follows national standards for security and privacy. Users must enter their name, date of birth and an email or phone number associated with their vaccine record to create a four-digit PIN to gain access.

“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 record shows the same information as the paper CDC vaccine card: name, date of birth, date of vaccinations and vaccine manufacturer.

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.