Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
Question: Can I retrieve my Hawaii SMART Health Card now that the Safe Travels website is shut down? I didn’t realize that I’d also lose access to the proof of vaccination, because it was separate from the trip app. I need it now, the QR code from the state; my CDC card isn’t enough.
Answer: No, this state- issued COVID-19 vaccine digital record, which was housed on the Hawaii Safe Travels digital platform that shut down March 26, is offline and inaccessible, state health and technology officials said. Users were supposed to save the QR code to their mobile device before the shutdown, although you are not alone in missing this instruction. Other readers have asked the same thing; all sought a verified digital vaccine record, issued by the state.
Here are tips for people in your situation:
>> Contact your COVID- 19 vaccine provider(s), many of which automatically or upon request provide a digital vaccine record in the form of a QR code, which is a scannable bar code that links to information, in this case the person’s COVID-19 vaccination status. You may be able to retrieve the record online. For example, if you were vaccinated at CVS/Longs or Safeway, you should be able to log on to their websites and download your QR code to your mobile device. Likewise, if you were vaccinated at a Hawaii Pacific Health facility and have a MyChart account you can download your QR code from the electronic medical records system. Those are a few examples; many providers offer this service. Although these QR codes are not issued by the state, they may suffice if you show that Hawaii has taken its SMART card offline; see hawaiicovid19.com/smart-health-card/ for proof of that.
>> Depending on where in Hawaii you received your vaccine, you may be registered in the Vaccine Administration Management System, or VAMS, an online tool developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that allows registered users to print out a certificate or create a QR code documenting their COVID-19 vaccination. For example, Maui Health’s website says people who were vaccinated at a Maui Health clinic can log in to their VAMS account at vams.cdc.gov/ to retrieve their COVID-19 vaccination record. The CDC gives detailed instructions at 808ne.ws/vamsqr about how to generate a QR code for such a record. The QR code would be from a federal government agency, not the state.
>> The Hawaii Department of Health does not issue QR codes to prove COVID-19 vaccination status, said Brooks Baehr, spokesperson for the department. However, it can issue hard-copy verification for eligible people who have lost their CDC vaccine cards or who need a state-issued document. “One of the options … for people seeking proof of vaccination is to call the Department of Health at 808-586-8332 or toll free at 833-711-0645. The DOH Immunization Branch will review the caller’s request and issue a document with proof of vaccination on DOH letterhead. This document can be sent by mail or a PDF scan can be sent to the requester via email,” he said.
>> A commercial app such as the CLEAR health pass may be an option, or you might be able to create a QR code yourself that links to a hard-copy document issued by the state, if that will suffice. Search the internet for numerous options. Review cost and privacy provisions.
>> Most questions on this topic involved foreign travel for jobs or education. The U.S. Consulate in the specific country may be a resource. Find COVID-19 information by country on the U.S. State Department’s website, at 808ne.ws/countries.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the lady at Kahala Mall Pizza Hut who helped me get in touch with TheHandi-Van. My cellphone was not working and this lady was kind enough to allow me to use hers to get in touch with TheHandi-Van reservation personnel. I was able to get to the AT&T store at Ala Moana Center, where Eric resolved the problem with my phone. I found several missed calls from my physician’s office. — G.F.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
74