Since entry to public places including shopping malls, parks and restaurants as well as public offices is going to be regulated by vaccination certificate, a digital vaccination certificate with a QR code or clues to the holder’s vaccination status on his/her phone is advisable too.
The digital documentation of Covid-19 certificates is a mechanism by which a person’s Covid-19-related health data can be digitally documented via an electronic certificate which can be used in the same way as a paper-based vaccination record/card. That is to provide information to healthcare providers about the vaccination status of the holder.
“Moving with the world, a digital vaccination card would be more suitable for people with digital devices in their hands as paper-based vaccination records have many challenges,” says Doctor Nihal Azizi, specialist and a social activist.
The challenges include possibility of losing or damaging the card, or even the possibility of fraud. However, the digital solutions are designed to address these challenges and to hold the vaccination cards safe and handy as the card will be highly needed for many purposes in the future.
“Digital vaccination card is better and safer for following Covid infection guidelines as there is no need to touch any surface which is feared to be spreading the virus. Instead, one just has to show and roll like our digital credit or debit cards,” says Dr Dilip Singhvi, Specialist, Internal Medicine and Diabetes at Apollo Hospital.
Although the WHO doesn’t support vaccination certificate as a proof of vaccination to support travel, it has issued some guidelines to the same, saying “the digital documentation of Covid-19 certificates is proposed as a mechanism by which a person’s Covid-19-related health data can be digitally documented via an electronic certificate.”
Accordingly, the WHO has published a guidance document for countries and implementing partners on the technical requirements for issuing digital certificates for vaccination against Covid-19. The guidance is part of a series of planned documents on digitalisation of Covid-19 certificates.
“The guidance will, amongst other things, support member states in adopting digital tools for documenting Covid-19 vaccination status for the purposes of effective healthcare, and proof of vaccination should it be needed for other purposes,” a statement from the WHO stated.
“Digital vaccination card is acceptable to a great extent as long as there is QR code and all the details of the person can be retrieved online. But here in Oman, we have Tarassud plus which is equally useful,” said Dr Mahmoud bin Nasser al Rahbi, Senior Consultant of Emergency Medicine at the Al Nahdha Hospital.
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