By April Caulk, MPH, LEHP, CP-FS
I-CARE Program Administrator and Vax Verify Support at the Illinois Department of Public Health
Vax Verify is the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) online immunization portal where residents and those vaccinated in Illinois can access their own immunization record. For anyone with a COVID-19 vaccination on file in the IDPH I-CARE immunization registry, the SMART Health Card/QR code is also available in Vax Verify.
Vaccination records belonging to minors who share the same residential address as an adult Vax Verify user are also available.
Vax Verify users must be 18 years or older and pass Experian identity proofing. If someone is not able to use Vax Verify and needs a copy of their immunization record, they can request it from their primary care provider, vaccinating provider, local health department, or from IDPH using the immunization record request form.
Here are a few user tips to keep in mind when accessing Vax Verify:
IDPH does not edit records. If your records contain incorrect information, contact Vax Verify support for guidance.
Not all healthcare providers report to the IDPH immunization registry, and not all types of vaccinations are reported. If your vaccinations occurred prior to 2007, contact your primary care provider or former pediatrician practice for assistance obtaining immunization records.
If users are unable to access their Vax Verify record after passing Experian identity proofing, they may need to edit their address or spelling of their name in their Vax Verify profile. Vax Verify will only display a record if the name and address submitted to I-CARE at the time of their last vaccination matches those entered in your Vax Verify profile.
Once you have added your SMART Health Card/QR code to your phone wallet, if you get additional COVID shots, you will need to access your updated SMART Health Card/QR code within Vax Verify and replace the QR code in your phone wallet, as it does not update itself.
Anyone who is experiencing trouble accessing their records, has a missing vaccination, error on their record, trouble logging in, or other question associated with Vax Verify or their immunization record, can request support within Vax Verify or can email Vax Verify support at dph.VaxVerify@illinois.gov. The Vax Verify FAQs and option for support can be found on the Vax Verify homepage (see screenshot below).
About this Post The author of this post is a guest contributor from the Illinois Department of Public Health, an executive agency of the State of Illinois government. It was requested by the Illinois Public Health Association as it executes a public health grant awarded by the Department to increase vaccination rates throughout Illinois.
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