Illinois residents who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 are complaining that their immunization records are missing from the state's new online vaccination portal.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) launched the Vax Verify portal on August 11 to allow residents aged 18 and over to check their COVID-19 vaccination records.
“As more businesses, events, organizations, and others require proof of vaccination, Illinois residents will be able to confirm using Vax Verify that they have been vaccinated for COVID-19,” said IDPH director Dr. Ngozi Ezike as the portal went live.
“With the current surge in cases, more people are making the decision to get a COVID-19 vaccine, and this new tool will aid residents in confirming their vaccination where needed.”
News source CBS 2 has reportedly received emails from multiple vaccinated Illinois residents who have registered with the portal only to receive a "no records found" message when they log in and search for their immunization records.
One resident said in an email to CBS 2, “IDPH does not have my vaccination records, and as far as the State of Illinois knows, I am not vaccinated.”
The state told CBS 2 that residents whose immunization information is absent from the portal or listed incorrectly must contact their vaccination provider to ask for the portal to be updated.
The IDPH said that the portal “cannot change records or update demographic/contact information.”
Illinois created the portal in partnership with Experian. Residents who wish to download proof of their vaccination must complete an identity verification process. In a non-typical arrangement, residents who have frozen their credit must unfreeze it and wait a day before they can register.
Director of engineering for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Alexis Hancock, has been reviewing vaccination record portals set up all over America. She criticized the Illinois portal's link with residents' credit.
“I would say it’s one of the worst ones in terms of initial barrier to entry,” said Hancock. "In New York and California and Louisiana, you can just provide the information that you have on your CDC card, the one you are issued with when you get vaccinated."