Massachusetts residents can obtain digital vaccine passports issued by the state

The state’s “COVID-19 SMART Health Care” will be available as Boston prepares for a new vaccine requirement to take effect at the end of the week. A freepik.com image

– News from elsewhere covered by Quincy Quarry News with commentary added.

Do not leave home without them!
A Viorel Poparcea Getty Images/Stockphoto Image

Massachusetts rolls out a digital COVID-19 passport program.

The usual practice of national governments as the entities that issue passports notwithstanding, Governor Charlie Baker’s administration has rolled out a digital COVID-19 passport in advance of Boston’s imposing a requirement to provide proof of vaccination starting next week.

The “COVID-19 SMART Health Card” system digitally interfaces with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s vaccination database to compile not only a cardholder’s COVID jabs status but also other vaccinations when creating an individual’s passport.

A Qr code example
Image via Unsplash

A SMART Health Card passport can be obtained by visiting www.myvaxrecords.mass.gov and responding to the prompts

The card features a scannable QR code which one can store on one’s smartphone and so ease a third party’s checking of its holder’s vaccination status.

At the same time, the card itself will not be mandatory as other reports indicate that a smartphone photo or a paper copy of one’s COVID vaccination card(s) or other jab records will continue to be valid as proof of vaccination even if not potentially as easy to check as the state’s QR-code using COVID-19 passport.

Additionally, it should also be noted that early reports indicate some people have had trouble setting up their COVID-19 SMART Health Cards.

Frustrated while trying to effect online registration
A file photo

Then again, such should come as no great surprise given past COVID-19 pandemic response shortcomings as well as the operations of the state government in general.

After all, last February the state’s online vaccination appointment registration system crashed when it was rolled out in February of last year, and more recently scoring testing has been difficult at best.

Source: State of Massachusetts rolls out a digital COVID-19 passport

QQ disclaimer