Advance the health passport to travel to Europe – Viva la radio

“We want to help member states restore freedom of movement in a safe, responsible and trustworthy manner,” said the German leader.

The European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, made a point of clarifying that this is not a “health passport”, given the controversy over this idea, and stressed that the certificate “does not will not be a precondition for the exercise of the right to free movement. and will not discriminate. “

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Regarding vaccination, the document will take into account the four that have already been authorized for application in the European Union (EU): those of BioNTech / Pfizer, Modern, AstraZeneca Yes Johnson & johnson.

In other words, it leaves out other drugs such as Sputnik V or those of Chinese origin like Sinopharm that could be administered to EU citizens who were abroad or in bloc countries where they are allowed, such as Hungary and Slovakia, although the EU allows each government to decide whether or not to accept the certification issued by other vaccines.

The document will be valid in all European countries and the intention of the Commission is that it be available in time for the boreal summer season (end of June to end of September), knowing that its implementation has been promoted by the countries. the most income they derive from tourism like Greece and Spain.

However, the initiative is not without its criticisms and raises serious questions, some from a scientific perspective, as there are still uncertainties as to whether vaccinated people can carry the virus asymptomatically and transmit it. .

The President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen.

There is also no exact knowledge of the duration of vaccination after receiving the inoculation and of the effectiveness of all vaccines against the strains already detected and those which may arise.

In addition, vaccination campaigns in the EU ensured that only 3.5% of the population received both doses, and for this reason discrimination is to be feared to the detriment of people awaiting vaccination.

Even the president of the Aéroports de Paris, Augustin de Romanet, who sees as “favorable” the measure which would help a tourist reactivation, described as “Orwellian” falling into a system “in which, because we have not vaccinated , can’t even go through the bakery door “.

Belgium, in particular, was reluctant within the EU to make entry into a European country conditional on the presentation of a vaccination certificate, when vaccines are not compulsory since many ‘between them benefit from emergency approval in the face of the pandemic. .

However, this concept is not new and many countries impose the obligation to be vaccinated against certain diseases to enter their territory, such as yellow fever.

In this case, the health centers issue a yellow vaccination card, officially called the “International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis”, recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Faced with the coronavirus emergency, China this month launched a digital passport for its citizens with which they can demonstrate their state of health when traveling to or from abroad.

According to government sources of the Asian giant cited by the Xinhua News Agency, this “health certificate for international travel” is a smartphone application that shows and verifies the vaccination history and the results of the Covid-19 test (PCR and antibody) of the user.

The US and UK are exploring the launch of similar systems, while Estonia has taken advantage of the fact that it already has its own electronic medical record system with vaccine information to test its implementation. artwork.

Another criticism relates to the protection of the user’s personal data in these certificates, and that is why the EU has made it clear that it will include a “limited” amount of information that can only be consulted to confirm and verify the authenticity and validity of the document. said the press agency Europa Press.

If the certificate is approved, which has yet to be negotiated with the Council and the European Parliament, the Commission also calls for this to be a ‘temporary’ measure to be suspended when the WHO declares the end of the process. emergency, but that it could be reactivated in the future in the event of new pandemics.