EU Officially Launches Digital Vaccine Passport

The digital COVID-19 certificate issued by the European Union EU went live today. People can use the certificate to demonstrate proof of COVID-19 immunization, a recent negative test result, or a previous COVID-19 illness.

The certificate, which has a QR code and a digital signature, can be viewed on a computer or printed. When traveling in the EU, people who have the certificate should not be required to do an additional COVID-19 test or be quarantined. Only COVID-19 vaccines approved in the EU are recognized by the certificate, which includes the AstraZeneca, Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson doses.

The certificate has already been issued and recognized in some EU nations. In mid-June, Germany, for example, announced it had already given 5 million certificates. The rest of the EU member countries will be brought online during a six-week timeframe.

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Non-EU countries, such as the United Kingdom, have begun to implement their own systems. The National Health Service (NHS) in England has its own COVID-19 pass, which can be used to provide proof of vaccination, a recent test result, or a previous infection. A print version is available in Scotland and Wales.

Although some EU nations accept the NHS pass, the EU as a whole does not, and this could change as countries attempt to make their systems interoperable.

In the United States, certain states (such as New York) have their own COVID-19 vaccine certificates. Walmart has launched a digital record for anyone who has been vaccinated at one of its locations. However, in the United States, there is no such system. The Biden administration was planning to organize and streamline the different credential projects in March. Google stated yesterday that Android will now support vaccination cards.