Key Highlights:
- 21 out of 27 countries connected to the system’s network as digital vaccination goes into effect in the EU.
- The digital vaccination contains information on a person’s vaccination status, test results, or COVID-19 recovery status.
- Vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) must be accepted by the countries.
Digital Vaccination gets the first test in Europe
The EU’s Digital COVID certificate is now officially in effect. Twenty-one EU countries, out of a total of 27, were connected to the system’s network, while six others were theoretically prepared. In June, some nations began utilizing the new health certificate.
According to the European Commission, all member countries should now be able to issue and accept the pass, with the exception of Ireland, which has been hampered by cyber assaults.
A phased implementation schedule is now in place, with a grace period until August 12 for nations that were not ready on July 1. During this time, other countries should accept national papers as long as they contain data that is necessary at the European level.
However, the introduction is overshadowed by the Delta version, which has already prompted EU nations to limit travel from countries where it is popular, such as the United Kingdom, Portugal, and India.
The airline sector has also cautioned that EU nations’ procedures to vaccination certification are not coordinated, potentially generating significant waits at airports during the busy summer season.
How the EUDCC works?
The EUDCC, formerly known as the Digital Green Certificate, seeks to make it easier for Europeans to travel between the EU’s 27 member states. It will also be accessible in a few non-EU countries. It contains information on a person’s vaccination status, test results, or COVID-19 recovery status. The traveler can carry either a digital or physical certificate, which is shown as a QR code.
The EU Digital COVID certificate (EUDCC), as it is formally known, is free and should be accepted by all 27 EU member states, as well as Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway. The EU is negotiating mutual recognition and operation of COVID-related papers with many additional nations, including the United Kingdom and the United States.
The pass is valid in three situations: it certifies if a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, if they have recently had a negative test, or if they are considered immune due to having previously caught the illness. A positive PCR test will be required.
Vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) must be accepted by the following countries: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson&Johnson. They can also admit persons who have been immunized using vaccines allowed in some EU countries, such as the Russian Sputnik V in Hungary, or with World Health Organization (WHO) goods, such as the Chinese Sinopharm.
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