Not long ago, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and the Department of Health (DOH) programmed a system called VaxCertPH, a portal that provides a more standard vaccination certificate that we can use when we travel.

The system relies on data submitted by local governments through the Vaccine Information Management System. It aims to represent our vaccination status and provide Filipinos going abroad with some sort of a vaccine passport that will be recognized in foreign jurisdictions. It is free and can be accessed through the VaxCertPH website.

Here’s a step-by-step procedure on how to get a vaccination certificate online:

1. Go to the official VaxCertPH Website

Visit https://vaxcert.doh.gov.ph. Once you access the website, click “Continue” to request a vaccination certificate.

2. Review Data Policy

Review and accept the data privacy statement by ticking the box. Make sure you have your vaccination card and any government-issued ID with you before proceeding.

3. Enter Details

Next, you will be asked if you were vaccinated more than 8 hours ago for any doses.

Enter your personal information including your last name, full name, middle name, suffix, and date of birth. The details you encode must match the details on your vaccination card.

You will also need to provide further information on your vaccination details by answering some questions such as where and when you received your first and second dose of vaccine.

4. Verify Vaccination Information

Review your given information and enter the seven characters shown on the screen. The program will then verify the vaccination details you provided. In case there is no record found, you can upload your vaccination card and valid ID and give your e-mail address and contact number.

5. Get Vaccination Certificate

Once the system found your record, you can finally get a copy of your vaccination certificate. You may download, print, or take a screenshot of the QR code included in the certificate.

The digital vaccine certificate issued by the VaxCertPH should include the following details:

• Quick Response (QR) code for vaccination certificate — which according to Caintic must match data in the Vaccination Information Management System (VIMS).
• Personal details — which include the vaccine recipient’s full name, date of birth, and sexual orientation.
• Issuance details — such as the name of issuing office as well as the date and time of issuance.
• Certificate ID number — a unique nine-digit number.

The certificate should also indicate information regarding the vaccine received by the owner of the certificate. These include:

• Dose number — which represents the number of doses administered to the certificate holder.
• Vaccination date — which shows when the certificate holder received his or her first and/or second dose of vaccine against COVID-19.
• Vaccine or Prophylaxis type — which details the type of vaccine administered to the certificate holder (COVID-19 vaccine, RNA-based, viral vector-based).
• Brand and manufacturer — which include the brand or trade name used to refer to vaccine (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, JNJ-78436735) and name of vaccine’s manufacturer (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac, Sinopharm).
• Lot number for vaccination — which shows the batch number or lot number of the vaccine administered.
• Country of vaccination — which represents the country where the certificate holder received his or her vaccine doses.