If you got your COVID-19 shot from the Department of Veterans Affairs and have lost your shot record card, you may now be able to access your vaccination verification on your phone.
While everyone's best course of action when they get their COVID-19 shot is to take a photo of the front and back of the COVID-19 vaccination card and keep it accessible on their mobile device, that option doesn't help if you have misplaced your card.
Having a verified record of your COVID-19 vaccination is becoming more important as many employers require proof of vaccination for employees, many major sports leagues and entertainers require proof of vaccination to attend events, and local jurisdictions and places of business are enacting more restrictions on the unvaccinated.
While many Americans can access their medical records using websites and applications run by insurance companies or medical providers, those who got their vaccinations from the VA or the military haven't had access to any easily available online proof of vaccination.
But now the VA now says that if you got your shot from them, you can get your vaccination record on your smartphone through two recommended phone apps. All you need is a premium My HealtheVet account with the VA. If you have an iPhone, you can use the Apple Health app. For those with an Android phone, you can use the CommonHealth app.
All you have to do is download the app onto your phone, choose the VA as your health-care provider and sign in to your MyHealtheVet account when prompted. The app will download your selected medical information to your device, where you can provide proof of vaccination when necessary.
You can also download a copy of your vaccination record using the Blue Button section of MyHealtheVet on your smartphone or computer.
If you got your COVID-19 shot from a civilian doctor or local vaccination event, you should check with your doctor, state or county health department for information on how to obtain a copy of your shot record if you have lost your card.
If you got your COVID-19 shot from a military provider, check with either the provider or your command on how to receive a copy of your vaccination record.
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