WHO proposed a digital document of COVID-19 vaccine status to eliminate the risk of losing or damaging a paper or card document and avoid fraud.
WHO's proposed method for digitally recording a person's COVID-19-related health data via an electronic certificate is the Digital Documentation of COVID-19 Certificates. Vaccination certificates are old-fashioned paper documents that include vaccine information. A digital record is created using a barcode to avoid losing the paper certificate, destroying the card, or committing fraud.
WHO discourages demanding COVID-19 vaccination verification before traveling. In specific instances, however, some countries may need to assess the risk; for example, information about COVID-19 vaccination may be required to reduce quarantine duration or testing upon arrival.
The BBC reports that COVID-19 passports are accessible via an app on the phone, and some countries already have their versions of COVID-19 passports that allow people to attend large-scale events. Some of the countries are still lagging in this regard. In the United Kingdom, a fully vaccinated person can only enter nightclubs by the end of September, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson reports BBC. U.K., EU, France, Israel, China have COVID-19 passports in one form or the other.
A digital certificate from the European Union verifies that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has a COVID-19 test result that is negative, or has recovered from COVID-19. All EU member states accept this certificate. The holder of an ''EU Digital COVID Certificate'' is free to travel throughout the EU.
Only four states in the United States have an active vaccination app, according to MIT Technology Review. In April, the White House ruled against mandatory government COVID-19 vaccination passports, claiming to protect residents' privacy and rights. Vaccinated persons in Australia also receive a digital certificate on their phones.
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