What do I do if I do not have an NWT Health Care Card?

If you provided an out of territory health card number at the time of your vaccination you may be able to generate an NWT PVC that will provide proof of the doses of vaccine you received in the territory.
If you try to fill out the self-serve form and you are still unable to download your PVC it may be due to the way your information was recorded when you received your vaccination. There are two ways to receive your PVC if you are unable to successfully use the self-serve form:

1. You can pick up a copy:
   • In Yellowknife: Public Health, 1st floor of the Jan Stirling Building
   • In all other communities: at your local health centre.
2. Email NTHSSA_covidvaxrecords@gov.nt.ca, include a copy (scan or photo) of government issued photo ID and your healthcare card and details about where and when you received your vaccine. 

Staff will work with you to troubleshoot and ensure you are able to download your PVC. 

What is the difference between a Proof of Vaccine Credential (PVC) and a vaccine passport?

Proof of Vaccine Credential (PVC) is a health record. It is a document that indicates your vaccination status. The information contained in the PVC will include name, date of birth, dates, and description of vaccine, standardized to allow for it to be used and accepted internationally, and across the country.

Most times, when people are discussing Vaccine Passports, they are discussing when and how your PVC is used.

For more information on where you may require Proof of Vaccination, please see:

• Vaccination requirements for Federal Employees (check with your employer)
• COVID-19 Boarding flights and trains in Canada (link is external)

What do I do if I put in all my data and it won’t generate a PVC or I receive an error?

We expect there will be cases where individuals misremember their information (date of vaccination) and are unable to successfully have a credential issued through the form. We also expect that there may be limited cases where EMR data errors also cause an inability to download a Proof of Vaccine Credential. If the data entered on the form does not match the information in the electronic medical record (EMR) the form will not validate properly.

Who to contact if you are having trouble getting a credential through the online form is different depending on the issue?

Issues navigating the website and online form:

• 1-833-378-8297

Verification of personal or vaccination information:

• Outside Yellowknife: contact your local health centre.
• In Yellowknife, email: NTHSSA_covidvaxrecords@gov.nt.ca
• Inquiries sent via email will be responded to in the order in which they were received, please include a phone number and your community of residence in the email body as well as detail about whether you believe your information is correct but you cannot receive a PVC or if you need your date of vaccine to complete the form.

Please note: if your EMR record needs to be corrected it will take at least 48 hours after the correction of EMR data before you can pull down a valid PVC through the self-serve portal.

How can I use my PVC?

Starting June 20, 2022, proof of vaccination will no longer be required to board a plane or train in Canada. However, this applies only to domestic travel and flights or trains leaving Canada. If you are entering Canada from another country, you must continue to follow all entry requirements such as vaccination and testing. For more information, please visit the Government of Canada’s website: COVID-19 Boarding flights, trains and cruise ships in Canada (link is external).

In the NWT, there are also some federal employees and private businesses that may need you to provide proof of vaccination. Please verify with your employer if this a requirement for you.

This list will be expanded if additional use cases are identified.

At this time, the PVC for NWT residents has been built to align with the requirements issued by the Government of Canada to ensure it is valid for upcoming proof-of-vaccine for travel requirements.

Have you considered privacy and security?

Yes. The GNWT and the Government of Canada have taken steps to ensure the PVC does not contain any more information than necessary, and does not contain any way to access more information.

By sharing your Proof of Vaccine Credential, you are sharing your personal information. The information contained in the PVC includes your name, date of birth, and dates and description of vaccine doses. If you choose to share your PVC, you will be sharing only these pieces of your personal information.

When your QR code is scanned by a reader it validates the code against a confirmation from the Government of the Northwest Territories that your vaccine credentials are true and valid.

If you are on a shared or public computer or device and you intend to print your Proof of Vaccine, please ensure you delete the file copy on the device to ensure nobody else has access to your personal health information.  

Is it the same PVC and same process for all NWT Health and Social Services Authorities (NTHSSA, HRHSSA, TCSA)?

Yes.

Is my letter/copy of my medical record I received previous for proof of vaccination still valid?

Yes, it is still valid. Where it is accepted as proof of vaccination may change over time and as standardized PVCs are issued throughout the country it is likely the expectation will be that you have the standard PVC document to present as proof.

What happens if I go somewhere and they scan my QR code but it does not validate, even though I know the code is the official one issued by the GNWT?

Different scanner apps may or may not validate your credential as apps built by different organizations or provinces/territories may be validating their own codes only or there may be other issues. Because this is new technology, we expect there will be early adoption issues, but these will be improved over time by the various developers of the apps.

How do I get proof of vaccination?

Starting October 12th, 2021 you can use the self-serve online form to apply for a Proof of Vaccination Credential. Access the self-serve form here https://www.gov.nt.ca/proof-vaccination

If you are unable to use the self-serve online option, you can pick up a copy:

In Yellowknife, at Public Health, 1st floor Jan Stirling Building

In all other communities, please visit your local health centre.

What do I do if I can’t get vaccinated due to a medical reason?

Very few people have conditions that would prevent them from being vaccinated. If you are one of these individuals it is expected that you would work with your physician to have an exemption letter issued.

How do I request the new PVC format for pickup if I’m not using the online self-serve form?

We ask everyone who can to use the self-serve option.

If you can’t use the self-serve online option, you can pick up a copy:

• In Yellowknife: Public Health, 1st floor Jan Stirling building
• In all other communities: at your local health centre.

What if I received my vaccine outside of the NWT?

You will need to request a Proof of Vaccination Credential from the province or territory where you received your vaccine.

I don’t use computers; how can I get my PVC?

If you can’t use the self-serve online option, you can pick up a copy:

• In Yellowknife: Public Health, 1st floor Jan Stirling building.
• In all other communities: at your local health centre.

What if I received two vaccine doses in two different provinces / territories?

NWT residents who received vaccine in another province need to apply for a Proof of Vaccine Credential in that province.

• If you have received doses in a series (a 2-or-more-dose vaccine product) in different provinces/territories, you will need to apply for and carry a PVC from each jurisdiction where your vaccine was administered.
• When you present these to be scanned, both will be validated as "partially vaccinated", but together will constitute evidence of a full vaccine series.

How quickly can I get a PVC after I receive my vaccine?

PVC’s are available in the system 48 hours after your information has been entered into your Electronic Medical Record; however, an individual is only considered fully vaccinated, 14 days after receiving their second dose.

How do I get proof of vaccination for my dependents between the ages of 5 and 11?

At this time, the GNWT is not issuing electronic Proof of Vaccination Credentials (PVC) for people aged 5 to 11 years. If you require proof of vaccination for a dependent 5 to 11 years old, you can request your personal health information. 

Do I need a new PVC if I get a booster shot?

If you want your booster shot to be represented on your Proof of Vaccination Credential you will need to request a new PVC.

Do I need to get another copy of my PVC every time I travel?

No, not every time you travel; however, this is a new tool, the format or type of information included may change. If you have a COVID-19 proof of vaccination credential that is older than 6 months, you may consider getting a new one before a trip to ensure you have the latest details. 

If there are major changes that impact acceptance of PVCs in terms of information or format these requirements will be communicated to the public. At this time there has been no decision about how long a PVC will be valid for; if this changes it will be communicated publicly.

If you plan to travel, you should check vaccination requirements for all planned destinations, as they may vary by jurisdiction.

Is there a way for NWT residents or businesses to verify other people's codes? How can we confirm someone is showing us a valid credential?

Some private businesses and organizations may require employees to provide proof of vaccination, and some may voluntarily choose to scan or authenticate NWT PVCs. This is not a requirements of any of the GNWT’s policies. There are third party apps available that will allow codes to be scanned. How these applications store information should be considered by the user of the scanner and the individual allowing their PVC to be scanned. The GNWT is aware that the SMART Health Card Verifier App — The Commons Project will scan and authenticate GNWT-issued PVCs.

Will this document work in other provinces and territories?

Yes – if another province or territory has rules that require you to show proof of vaccination (or have a ‘Vaccine Passport’) this is the document you should show.

We are aware that many provinces have developed their own scanning applications to accompany their public health efforts. Different scanner apps may or may not validate your credential as apps built by different organizations or provinces/territories may be validating their own codes only or there may be other issues. Because this is new technology, we expect there will be early adoption issues, but these will be improved over time by the various developers of the apps. The GNWT is working with federal, provincial and territorial counterparts to support the NWT’s PVC being scanned with those applications. To date, the NWT’s PVC can be scanned by CBSA, Quebec and Nova Scotia. Work is underway in other jurisdictions to improve interoperability and we expect others to be able to scan them in the near future. Collaboration is continuing across jurisdictions. The NWT’s PVC is accepted in other provinces and territories even if the verifier app within that jurisdiction can’t scan it at this time.

Is this the document I would need to show to my employer, if they require proof of vaccination?

Yes. If your employer has rules that require you to show proof of vaccination this is the document you should show. Employers will likely also accept the copy of your NWT medical record information that has previously been provided in the NWT as proof of vaccination for COVID-19.

What happens when someone scans my code? What data do they get?

Any time your code is scanned it may only access the following information:

• Your name
• Your date of birth
• The type and dates of your vaccinations
• Confirmation that the PVC has been issued by the GNWT and is authentic

Why are you introducing this?

The GNWT is launching this online self-serve tool to make it easier for residents to get their COVID-19 vaccination information, and to be consistent with other COVID-19 proof of vaccination documents across Canada. Requesting proof of vaccination is not new – you've been able to do that for some time – this is just a new, fast, convenient way to get your same vaccine info, in a format this is consistent across Canada.