Could e-vaccination certificates help rebuild tourism?

The World Health Organization is looking very closely into the use of technology to work with countries toward an e-vaccination certificate. The technology must conform to varying data laws and ensure seamless border-crossing service to not overwhelm countries. Europe may be the region chosen for a trial.

The WHO already has an agreement with Estonia to work on a digitally enhanced international certificate of vaccination.

The project will see vaccine recipients receiving a digital certificate, a smart yellow card, for use in healthcare data tracking. While the pilot project with Estonia is for healthcare purposes, the WHO sees its potential in safeguarding travel, as they are now looking to the certify travellers to ease cross-border travel.

While the WHO is looking at digital certificates of COVID-19 vaccination for travel, it does not support immunity passports or rapid antigen tests for permitting international travel.

Immunity passports are based on the belief that an individual that has contracted the coronavirus and recovered has built antibodies, and is thus immune to the virus. However, the WHO recommends that only a vaccine will prevent transmission.

COVID transmission from travel is one which medical experts and travel industry executives have been trying to tackle since the start of the pandemic.

The WHO’s digital vaccine certificate is designed to assist safe international travel for passengers by minimising the risk for virus transmission.