So Now There’s An Enhanced Vaccine Certificate…

So we’ve reached the time where vaccine certificates with QR codes are a thing. I guess it doesn’t totally flip into gear until Friday, but the enhanced certificates are available. They will be available for anybody who wants theirs by Monday, but this weekend they’re rolling availability out slowly so they don’t have stampeding electronic hoards knocking down the website. If your birthday is between January and April, you could get yours yesterday. Only those with birthdays between May and August could get theirs today, (run!), and only those with birthdays between September and December can get them tomorrow.

But if you just got your vaccine receipt all laminated up into a beautiful masterpiece and don’t want to deal with this new one, for now they’re saying that receipt is just fine. I hope they keep saying that, for the sake of older people or anyone else who might struggle to get the new QR code. From what I understand, the QR code just makes it faster and easier for businesses to screen people, and doesn’t require you showing your health card if you don’t want to. It just says your name, date of birth and if you have received two doses and are considered fully vaccinated.

Everybody’s all confused, thinking you need a phone, or an app, for this to work. Nope. You can print out your QR code and carry it. Just if you fold it, make sure you don’t crinkle the QR Code, and if you crop it, don’t crop off parts of the QR Code for Pete’s sake. And if you don’t have a printer, you can call 1-833-943-3900 or TTY 1-866-797-0007 and request the code emailed or mailed to you.

If you do store it in your phone, you can just put it somewhere and load it up. Or if you’re fancy shmancy and using iOS 15, you can load your QR code into the Health app. Here are some instructions.

To get your code, go to the COVID vaccination service and select enhanced vaccine certificate and follow the prompts. You will need the number and version code on the front of your health card plus the 9-digit code on the back, your date of birth and your postal code. I did it yesterday in less than five minutes from my phone. I was a happy human.

Also, Steve, you’ll be happy to know there is an answer to the vaccine clinical trial quandary and it can be found on the proof of vaccination page.

If you are participating in a covid 19 clinical trial authorized by Health Canada and specified in Ministry of Health guidance, you must provide both:
• identification
• documentation stating that you are currently participating in a clinical trial, including:
◦ a completed “Statement of Exemption due to Participation in a covid 19 Clinical Trial” form signed by the principal investigator and study participant (available through the clinical trial organizer)
◦ documentation from the principal investigator with your first and last name, date of birth and information about the clinical trial

We’ll see how well this goes, but at least I have what I need. Hopefully everyone else can get their stuff too.