Why can it be difficult to find COVID vaccination proof?

Australian COVID-19 Digital Certificate proof of vaccination

It is mandatory in Australia to be vaccinated against COVID-19, unless there is a medical exemption.

Proof of vaccination is required for entry into almost every location. This includes workplaces, education, childcare & medical facilities, restaurants & cafes, entertainment, recreation & sporting venues, shops and modes of transport.

For those who are eligible for Medicare, access to proof of vaccination is automatic.  The Medicare number is the unique identifier that links vaccination records with the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

When two vaccinations are uploaded to the same profile, a COVID-19 digital certificate is automatically generated. The digital certificate is proof of COVID-19 vaccination and can only be downloaded through a myGov account.

The majority of international visitors to Australia are not eligible for Medicare and can be seriously disadvantaged when obtaining proof of their COVID-19 vaccination.  They must first apply for a myGov account and an Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) before their vaccination records can be linked.

Without COVID proof, internationals are unable to study, work, travel or socialise in Australia.

Problem One:

Internationals, who receive COVID vaccination before getting an IHI, find that their Dose 1 vaccination record uploads to AIR with only their name & date of birth. Without a link to myGov & IHI, they are not able to find that AIR record.

If the international visitor gets an IHI before their 2nd COVID-19 vaccine, the system will upload Dose 2 to the IHI profile, but not link it to the 1st vaccine record.

The end result is that the international visitor is fully vaccinated but the two vaccinations are in separate profiles on the AIR. 

They cannot access a digital certificate as proof because having vaccinations in two different profiles does not allow the digital certificate to generate.

Problem Two:

Some internationals are fully vaccinated before applying for an IHI. Their vaccinations have uploaded to an AIR profile that does not have an IHI link. The international visitor is able to open their AIR profile, that is attached to an IHI, but it does not contain their records of vaccination. 

The AIR profile without the IHI contains their vaccination records but they cannot find this hidden record.

Both problems leave the international visitor in a very stressful no-win situation. They then face weeks/months of going round in circles dealing with multiple government agencies trying to access proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations.

The COVIDProof.online service has been established to help international visitors to Australia to obtain their proof of vaccination in four easy to follow steps.