Rhode Island offering digital vaccination status via smartphone app

Soon, Rhode Island residents will be able to access their COVID-19 vaccination status online through 401Health, Gov. Dan McKee said.

The governor announced in a news release that updates have been performed on the Crush COVID RI mobile app for smartphones. The update to the application will provide access to the verified record of vaccination status at the push of a button.

“Rhode Island has administered close to 2 million doses of COVID vaccine and almost 300,000 booster doses, and our neighbors deserve a convenient, safe, and efficient way to access and store their vaccination record,” McKee said in the release. “I have downloaded my vaccination card to my phone and it was very simple. If you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, it’s not too late. If you haven’t yet, get boosted.”

The app, which is free and available through the Apple App Store and on Google Play, is available in English and Spanish. Rhode Island joins seven states using the open-source SMART Health Card platform. The app is utilized at pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Walmart, according to the release.

Rhode Island will be partnering with Connecticut and Massachusetts in the coming weeks and months on the app.

VCI, a coalition of more than 800 public and private organizations, including The Mayo Clinic, Boston Children’s Hospital, Microsoft and more, prioritizes patient safety and privacy while making the records accessible and reducing health-care fraud.

“We want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for you to securely access your vaccination information,” Rhode Island Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said in the release. “This new app is a great way to verify for others that you have received the critical protection that comes with a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and booster dose.”

The technology utilized by the app allows businesses and organizations to quickly and safetly access an individual's vaccination record, according to the release.

There are currently 98% of the state’s residents age 18 and older who have at least one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 77% are fully vaccinated.