RI’s COVID smartphone app gets an upgrade; allows users to input vaccine card

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Islanders who don’t want to carry their COVID-19 vaccine card around with them everywhere they go will now have a new and more convenient way to access it.

Gov. Dan McKee and the R.I. Department of Health announced an upgrade to the state’s already existing “Crush COVID RI” smartphone app, which initially launched for contact-tracing back in May 2020.

Now named 401Health, the app allows the user, when asked, to provide their verified vaccine record with the touch of a button.

The app is free to download and can be found in both the Apple Store and on Google Play. It’s available in both English or Spanish.

Anyone who has already downloaded “Crush COVID RI” will need to update the app to start using 401Health.

McKee said he recently upgraded his smartphone app to include his vaccination card and described the process as “very simple.”

“Our neighbors deserve a convenient, safe and efficient way to access and store their vaccination record,” McKee said.

Rhode Island joins seven other states in utilizing the SMART Health Card network, which is designed to make medical records portable while also reducing healthcare fraud.

McKee said Rhode Island looks forward to working with both Connecticut and Massachusetts as they introduce similar apps in the coming weeks and months.

“We want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for you to securely access your vaccination information,” R.I. Department of Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott said. “This new app is a great way to verify for others that you have received the critical protection that comes with a COVID-19 vaccine primary series and booster dose.”

An app is also available for businesses, restaurants and venues to use and determine whether a SMART Health Card is valid.

The Verifier app is also free and available to download in the Apple Store and on Google Play.

McKee has scheduled a media availability for 2 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the issues of the day and take questions. 12 News plans to stream the event live right here on WPRI.com.