COVID-19 vaccination passport: what is it and what is it for

To a degree welcomed by many traumatized travel destinations in Europe, the leaders of the European Union is considering a digital health card What would allow EU citizens who have received a COVID-19 vaccine to travel for work or tourism.

Ursula von der Leyen, The President of the European Commission tweeted that the aim of this “digital green pass” is to provide “Evidence that a person has been vaccinated, test results for those who have not yet been vaccinated and information on recovery from COVID-19”, allowing residents to move safely in the EU and abroad.

Israel, which has successfully vaccinated 39% of its population, has already implemented a similar program, called a ‘green pass’, which allows vaccinated people to access gyms, concerts and restaurants, while Denmark He has already announced his own plan to introduce a digital health passport.

A number of private sector and non-government digital medical passports are also being implemented, including IATA travel pass, which was developed by the International Air Transport Association for travelers. Another factor that is gaining ground is CommonPass, developped by The Commons Project Foundation, a non-profit organization that builds digital data platforms for the public good, which Jet Blue, Lufthansa and United will be used in the coming weeks. The organization is also in talks with hotels, concert halls and sports leagues in the United States.

The idea is not without controversy, especially among human rights activists, data protection advocates and countries with limited access to vaccines. However, Vaccine passports, if properly implemented, offer one of the fastest routes to control the coronavirus while Underpin economies devastated by COVID-19-induced restrictions. Should the rest of the world catch up?

Where would they be used?

The tourism industry is those most eager to put them into practice. Airlines like Qantas already require proof of vaccination or recovery for international flights. Spain and Greece, whose tourism-dependent economies desperately need a strong summer season, are considering opening travel lanes with the UK and Israel, respectively, to citizens who can prove their vaccination status.

Too there are applications beyond travel: the the universities could open up with confidence knowing their students are immunized, employers could start hiring again, the cinemas and places of concerts they could reopen their doors.

How would they work?

In general, will involve an application that users can show officials to prove their status. Application CommonPass notification to users on entry rules, such as a vaccine or a negative COVID-19 test. Then the app allows you to check that they have met the requirements, either by connecting with the appropriate clinic, health authority or pharmacy that provided the service, or by asking the consumer to download test results or vaccination information to their phone.

The data itself is not stored on the user’s phone; instead, the application generates a cQR Code which can be scanned as a digital boarding pass, which confirms that the customer has met the requirements. Customers without a smartphone can print confirmation codes.

Unlike country or industry specific digital health apps, CommonPass does not define the rules. It allows controllers to set their own parameters, whether they are specific test providers, approved vaccination clinics, or recovery criteria, and provides the platform to ensure they are met. “Last resort, what we are really building is a network of common trust. An internationally recognized registry of verified healthcare organizations, so that a country or place can be sure that its specific needs are being met, ”says the CEO. Paul Meyer.

I have an article that says I am vaccinated. Shouldn’t that be sufficient proof?

It is true that African and Asian countries have long demanded proof of vaccination against yellow fever and other diseases from visitors. But the “yellow card” which is used for verification it is easy to counterfeit and difficult to replace (Getting an additional injection is often easier than getting a new card, although it is not recommended by a doctor.)

Have this kind of “cards” COVID-19 vaccines it would be even more complicated. With high demand and a limited supply of vaccines, the potential for fraud is high. So is the possibility of confusion: several vaccines are currently in use around the world and more are in development. And people who have had the virus in the future may need different vaccine requirements.

Juggling with these multiple criteria would present a big challenge for immigration officers and airline check-in counters. Governments may want travel and trade to resume as soon as possible, ”he says. Meyer. But their first obligation is the health and safety of their populations. “If everyone is walking around with pieces of paper in random languages ​​to find evidence that they would have been on the other side of the planet, it is difficult to make the decision to open up,” he says. . And add: “What a universally recognized health pass provides is the confidence that the person who wants to enter my country is the same person who actually received this vaccine. I know what kind of vaccine it was and for how long. I know what kind of test was done, and it was done in a reputable lab rather than an overnight clinic that had a printer. “

How long will it take before they normalize?

European nations like Spain and Greece hope to have systems in place in time for the summer travel season, But it will take time to implement all the regulations.

The biggest problem in the EU is access to vaccines. United States he says that it will have enough vaccines for its entire population by the end of May, and the United Kingdom predicts that all people over 50 will be vaccinated by then. But, Due to the slow roll-out of vaccines on the continent, it will not be until September that EU citizens will be in a similar situation, long after the peak holiday season.

Isn’t it unfair to demand vaccination passports when not everyone can get one or wants to get one?

This is the argument of countries like France and Germany, and organizations such as World Health Organization, What They say vaccine health passes will increase inequalities until everyone has a chance to get vaccinated. The UK Commission for Equality and Human Rights he says that Vaccine requirements for travel or access to locations could lead to “unlawful discrimination”. The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Sophie Wilmès, assured that If the idea of ​​a standardized European vaccine verification system is good, there should be no question of linking vaccination to free movement in Europe. Respect for the principle of non-discrimination is more fundamental than ever because vaccination is not compulsory and access to the vaccine is not yet generalized “.

For Anthony Dworkin, senior policy researcher at European Council on External Relations, the proposed health passes are likely to increase inequalities, but will continue to be vital for economies reeling from roadblocks and travel restrictions: “An element of injustice is the price to pay for some kind of partial reopening.”

Can I get rid of the masks?

No. Even with health passports in hand, social distancing measures will still have to remain in force During a very long time. Not everyone can or will receive the vaccine, and the risk of new variants is very great. Until vaccines are universally available, this means even vacation spots will need to make sure that the spots are well ventilated, that guests wear masks and that everyone continues to wash their hands.

“A vaccination passport alone will not bring us back to normalcy”, warns Francisco Femenia-Serra, tourism specialist Faculty of Social Sciences of the Nebrija University of Madrid. “This is just a small step towards recovering from the economic devastation in the tourism sector. A passport or a negative test doesn’t have to be an excuse to do whatever you want. Once I get to where I’m going, I still have to behave the right way. Because if we don’t, another disaster awaits us after the end of summer“.

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