(CN) --- In the early days of the Covid vaccine, office supply retailers offered to laminate vaccination cards for free. Now the little white CDC cards have come into the 21st century in the Golden State: Californians can now show proof of their Covid-19 vaccination record digitally thanks to a new online program announced Friday.
This week, California’s economy reopened with nearly all health restrictions lifted. An eager populace of nearly 40 million residents can now eat indoors at restaurants, attend sporting events or have drinks in a bar after more than a year of mandated closures. While there are currently no statewide regulations requiring proof of vaccination to enjoy any of these leisure activities, some businesses or large-scale indoor events with more than 5,000 people may turn away patrons who cannot provide proof of their immunization or a negative Covid test.
The physical paper vaccination cards from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that people shared on social media are proof of vaccination, but California’s new electronic version can also work in a pinch.
“More than 22 million Californians are now partially vaccinated with nearly 20 million fully vaccinated,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. “The odds are someone is going to misplace their paper CDC card and the digital Covid-19 record provides a convenient backup.”
Californians vaccinated in the state can receive a text or email link to the California Department of Public Health’s database after they enter their information. Residents create a unique 4-digit pin to safely access their information, including the date they received their vaccination and a QR code businesses can scan to verify the information. The data will not be saved by the person who scans the QR code and the code can only be read by SMART Health Card readers, according to health officials.
State health officials declined to call the program a “health passport” despite the similarities to other programs, like New York’s Excelsior Pass. The biggest difference is California’s electronic card is not a smartphone app, though health officials say the digital records will prevent counterfeits and could be used by people who travel to other countries that require proof of vaccination.
On Thursday, the 40 millionth Covid-19 vaccine dose went into the arm of one Californian. The mood across the state is a far cry from the winter holidays, when hospitals across the state were inundated with sick and dying Covid-19 patients during an unprecedented surge.
Covid has claimed the lives of over 63,200 people Californians since the onset of the pandemic, though daily case and death rates continue to drop. Vaccines became widely available over the spring in the state, though vaccine hesitancy lingers among some residents. So far the state has spent roughly $116 million to encourage vaccination with cash prizes, free food and other perks.
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