Vaccine Passport Apps: How will the Green Pass Certificates Work?

Since the first rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, dozens of countries have started developing so-called ‘vaccine passport apps’. The European Union has also announced the launch of a Digital Green Pass certificate on 21st June, which should allow easier travel for vaccinated people.

Here, we look at the key questions regarding COVID passports and lay out the facts.

Will COVID passports be mandatory?

It is safe to assume that for international travel, proving you have had a COVID-19 vaccination could become a standard requirement in the near future for many countries. As mentioned above, this is already the case for many other diseases like yellow fever, typhoid and hepatitis A.

But for other uses going out, or attending events, there will be considerable variation between countries, and regions. Currently, such measures would be the exception rather than the rule.

Summary

Vaccine passports are still a very new phenomenon, and new information and regulations regarding their functions and roll out are being published all the time. For international travel, it is safe to assume COVID passports will become a necessary part of life, while other uses are still being debated and will vary between countries. What is essential is that any digital solutions balance the protection of people’s health with the protection of their data.