Heres how to get a QR code to prove your COVID-19 vaccine status through the states new website – The Boston Globe

The new system is optional and available for people who are interested in obtaining a digital method to prove their COVID vaccination status.

It is your information downloaded onto your phone if you choose to do so, Governor Charlie Baker said during a press conference on Monday. I think its a far more customer-friendly and effective way to make this tool available to people who want to use it.

The new website verifies a persons name, phone number, and e-mail address against the vaccination records in the states public health database and generates a QR code that residents can use when needed.

Here are answers to some questions you may have about how the new system works.

How can I get my QR code?

What does the record include?

The vaccine record documents your COVID-19 vaccine regimen, including your initial series as well as a booster dose, if you have received one. It also includes records of other immunizations youve received in the state.

Much of the information will look familiar, since it should also appear on your CDC-issued paper vaccine card. That includes which vaccine you received whether it was Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson the date you received it, the location you received it, and the lot number of the vaccine.

How can I store my QR code?

People can take a screenshot of their QR code to store it on their phone and they can download it and save it as a photo. Once they have downloaded it from the states website, people can also print it and carry it with them.

iPhone users are also able to save it as a code in their Apple Wallet, for which the state has provided instructions.

Apple or Android users can also download an app called Common Health, which was made by the Commons Project, a nonprofit group that helped design the Massachusetts system. A copy of a persons vaccine record can be stored in the Common Health app.

Those who were vaccinated at major retailers like CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart and have already used apps to digitally display their vaccination status will also be able to use the states new system.

I got vaccinated against COVID-19 in another state. Will the website display my records?

Since the states records only include what is reported to the Massachusetts Immunization Information System, it wont include vaccinations received in other states or countries.

The state notes that you can request that your Massachusetts-based health care provider add the vaccines you received out of state to the MIIS as a historical vaccine.

If I get an additional COVID-19 dose, will my record automatically update?

If you have downloaded your vaccine record and later get another COVID-19 dose, like a booster shot, the record will not automatically update, according to the state.

Users will be asked to go through the process again to get a new QR code that will display a persons full regimen.

What if theres an error with my vaccine record?

The states website notes that the date on your vaccine records page shows what your provider has reported to [Massachusetts Immunization Information System].

If it looks like theres an error on their vaccine card or something is missing, the state encourages people to contact their vaccine provider and request that they correct their vaccine record.

They can also contact the MIIS, which has created a form for people to request an official update to their records. The state will notify people who use the form of what they found within two to three weeks.

If you have more questions about the vaccine record, you can reach out to the state by dialing 211 or emailing MyVaxRecords@mass.gov.

Hiawatha Bray of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.

Amanda Kaufman can be reached at amanda.kaufman@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandakauf1.

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Heres how to get a QR code to prove your COVID-19 vaccine status through the states new website - The Boston Globe