Will you need a ‘Vaccine Passport’ to travel in 2021?
With the rollout of the COVID-19 Vaccine, many people are starting to make their long awaited travel plans. Vaccinated individuals may encounter fewer barriers with travel restrictions.
The concept of a Vaccine Passport isn’t new and had been in place for several years. If you’ve ever traveled to parts of the world such as West Africa, you’re familiar with the yellow fever card. You get the card after taking the vaccine, which protects against the viral infection. The yellow fever card can be attached to your passport and shown upon arriving at your destination. Follow Spotlife Asia for the latest news and updates.
Several companies have developed apps to upload details of their Covid-19 tests and vaccinations, creating digital credentials.
In late November, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced it was developing the IATA Travel Pass, a digital health pass that will include a traveler’s test and vaccination certificates. A standardized health pass of some sort will likely prove to be necessary, given that travelers have already found ways to defeat testing by faking negative COVID-19 results.
The Common Trust Network, a partnership between airlines, the World Economic Forum and the non-profit The Commons Project, recently introduced the CommonPass App. The app would allow users to upload medical data such as COVID-19 test results or proof of vaccination. The information is then transmitted through a QR code that would protect sensitive information.
According to its website, CommonPass provides a place for individuals to access lab results and vaccination records, as well as consent to have that information used to validate their COVID-19 status without giving away any other underlying personal health information.
As the vaccine continues to be distributed across the nation, there haven’t been any regulations requiring you to have a vaccine to enter venues, states or countries, though there are some states that require you to test negative for COVID-19 or quarantine before or as you enter. Also Read: FDA Vaccine Approvals
The WHO indicated that vaccine passports be used to allow individuals entry to their workplaces or other countries and said that there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.
Basically, a vaccine or immunization passport is the quickest and easiest way to prove you’ve been vaccinated. For many people, it’s simply too early to be talking about a vaccine passport or app. We don’t even know yet if immunization stops someone from being contagious.
