Vaccination passports and mobile application for vaccinations: how we will travel without quarantine

Author

Diana Polunina

In Ukraine, as in many other countries of the world, a vaccination campaign against coronavirus has started. The next step in avoiding the spread of the virus, the possibility of free movement around the world and attending various events will be the so-called vaccination certificates.

Several countries have already introduced pilot projects, and the International Air Transport Association has even developed an application for information about vaccination. has been figuring out this subject.

Vaccination certificates in different countries

The states of the European Union have come to an agreement on the matter of vaccination passports against COVID-19—all countries were in favor. According to Reuters, Chancellor of German Angela Merkel said that they would probably be available by the summer, since various technical issues still need to be resolved.

Greece has separately stated the need for such vaccination certificates. Thus, the country's authorities consider this a necessity for the effective recovery of the tourism sector. At the same time, Austria also proposed to the European Union to introduce "green passports" for those who have already had a coronavirus or have been vaccinated.

At the same time, countries such as Estonia, Poland, Israel, Hungary, and Denmark have long ago implemented pilot projects for creating vaccination passports. For example, Danish citizens who get vaccinated will be able to get the document through a special website after they log in with a secure digital ID. As for Poland, after the second dose of the vaccine, the person will receive a document confirming the vaccination using a special QR code. Israelis will even have the opportunity to attend cultural and sports events, go to work, go shopping and travel abroad without a special quarantine. According to media reports, Britain has not lagged behind and is also working on the relevant certificates.

As for Ukraine, according to Olha Stefanyshina, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, if the World Health Organization recommends their introduction, Ukraine will do so, she said in an interview with TSN.ua. At the same time, the Chief Sanitary Doctor Viktor Lyashko previously stated that Ukrainians vaccinated against coronavirus would be be entered into a special electronic database so that later doctors can issue a certificate about patients’ vaccination.

Vaccination certificate: what do they think at WHO and airports

The WHO has repeatedly opposed vaccination certificates. So, on the eve, the organization stated that they should not be used for international travel, since it is not known how effective vaccines are to protect humanity from the spread of coronavirus. The organization adds that people who have been vaccinated should not be able to bypass travel restrictions that are aimed at containing the virus spread.

At the same time, the International Air Transport Association on the eve urged EU leaders to introduce vaccination passports to recover the air travel market and agree on the crucial role of secure digital solutions, such as the IATA Travel Pass, writes euractiv.

Coronavirus test and vaccination app

The same International Air Transport Association is not only urging EU leaders to introduce vaccination passports, but is also working on an application that will allow governments and airlines to digitally collect, access and share information on the status of coronavirus tests and vaccinations, and passengers will be able to travel to other countries without observing quarantine. It is planned to launch it in a few weeks, writes CNBC.

Of the 290 airlines that are part of the organization, 30 have agreed to test the application. And Singapore Airlines will become the first carrier to do it.

"It is about digitizing the existing process. This is the way forward, because if we do the processing manually, we will have a stupor the minute the restart begins," said Nick Karin, IATA's Senior Vice President, Airport Passenger Cargo and Security.

It should also be added that the Association is not the only one who is developing such an application, as this is done by governments of different countries, international agencies and others. For example, Microsoft, Oracle and other companies have begun developing a digital vaccination passport that confirms the presence of the vaccine against the coronavirus.