Walmart provides secure digital record for COVID-19 vaccinations

Walmart is providing a free, secure digital wallet for customers to use and share their health data – starting with COVID-19 vaccine information.

The discount giant, which has been administering COVID-19 vaccinations at select Walmart and Sam’s Club locations since December 2020, is enabling customers to securely store their COVID-19 vaccine record in their pharmacy account on Walmart.com or Samsclub.com. The vaccine record can be printed, saved on a device, or shared at the discretion of the consumer.

The vaccine record is a free digital version of the vaccine cards issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including the individual’s name, date of birth, date of vaccination, vaccine manufacturer, vaccine lot number, and location where they received the immunization. Walmart’s digital vaccine record is available to consumers age 18 and up who received their COVID-19 vaccine at a Walmart or Sam’s Club pharmacy or a Walmart-run vaccine event.

Individuals can log into their Walmart or Sam’s Club account and request the vaccine record as a QR code in a few steps. The Walmart record is available as of June 16, and Sam’s Club records are expected to be available the following week. Launching in the future will be additional functionality that will allow families to bundle their records and provide access to records for those under age 18.

“We are committed to giving people convenient, secure access to their health data, starting with COVID-19 vaccine immunization records,” said Dr. Cheryl Pegus, executive VP, Walmart health & wellness. “Our tool gives individuals a safe method to privately keep track of this information on their smartphone or computer, while also encouraging them to take ownership of their health data by determining exactly where, when, or if they share their documentation.” 

Walmart uses the SMART Health Cards standard defined by the Vaccination Credential Initiative, which means the digital vaccine record can be safely and privately shared with other compatible services if someone chooses, following all HIPAA privacy guidelines.