VAX CERTIFICATE

SOURCE NEWS.COM.AU

As Australia begins its gradual recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, the public will need to start getting into the habit of not leaving home without proof of their vaccination status.

A Covid-19 vaccine certificate is already required in NSW for people attending places like hospitality venues and gyms as well as many shops, following the state reaching its 70 per cent target last week.

Until the state reaches its 80 per cent target, residents will need to make sure they have their full vaccination record on hand if they want access to public venues.

At this stage, Victoria will likely join NSW in offering privileges to fully vaccinated residents. The requirement could spread further but many other state and territory leaders are holding back on making such announcements.

All states and territories have agreed however that vaccine certificates will at some stage be integrated into existing check-in apps.

How to get Covid-19 vaccination certificate

Once fully vaccinated, there are two ways people can prove their vaccination – by displaying a Covid-19 digital certificate, or an immunisation history statement.

Both pieces of evidence can be downloaded on a Medicare online account through myGov, Express Plus Medicare mobile app, or via My Health Record.

For smartphone users, a vaccine certificate can be added to their phone’s Apple wallet or Google Play using either the Express Plus Medicare mobile app or a Medicare online account through myGov using a device’s browser.

People using an iOS device can use either the Safari or Chrome browsers, but those on an Android device will need to use the Chrome browser.

On the Express Plus Medicare mobile app, users just need to select “proof of vaccinations” from “services”, then “view history”.

They should be able to select their name and view their Covid-19 digital certificate, and add it to either their Apple Wallet or save it to their phone, for it to then be added to Google Play.

Google Play can save a digital copy for Android users, while the Apple wallet will do the same for iPhone users.

By October 18, it’s expected the Service NSW app will make it possible for residents to have their vaccination certificate synched with their account when they “check in” to venues.

The function already exists for people in Victoria with the Service Victoria app installed on their phone.

How to get a certificate if you don’t have Medicare

People who aren’t eligible for Medicare will still be able to get proof of their vaccination through myGov, but will need to first get an Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI).

After getting an IHI, they will then be able to like their vaccine record to their myGov account.

This can be done by logging into myGov, selecting “link your first service”, then selecting Individual Healthcare Identifiers service and following the prompts.