Vaccine passports: What is the rest of the world doing?

Verity Bowman
·4 min read
A Chinese couple wear plastic coats and protective masks  - Kevin Frayer /Getty Images AsiaPac 
A Chinese couple wear plastic coats and protective masks - Kevin Frayer /Getty Images AsiaPac

Since vaccinations were first approved for use, Covid-19 status checks have been widely debated as a potential method to keep the lifting of restrictions safe.

It is thought that such a system could soon be introduced in the UK as the Government works to reopen theatres and nightclubs, as well as spectator events, in order to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus.

Vaccine "passports" have already been rolled out across much of the world and could indicate what is next for the UK’s coronavirus strategy.

We round-up some of the most comprehensive systems below:

Bahrain

Bahrain became one of the first countries to launch a digital Covid-19 passport in February.

Users' names, date of birth, nationality and which vaccine they have received are included in the BeAware app.

How the Covid-19 vaccines compare
How the Covid-19 vaccines compare

Users must have received two doses of a vaccine, separated by 21 days, and then wait for two weeks for antibodies to develop.

The passport can be scanned with a QR code which links to a national vaccine register.

China

China’s vaccine passport was launched on March 8 is possibly the most comprehensive so far. The Alipay Health Code determines whether millions of citizens should be allowed to move in public spaces freely, or whether they should be quarantined.

Users' travel history and health status determines a colour coded system: Green, meaning users can travel freely; yellow, indicating they should be isolating at home; and red, indicating a confirmed Covid-19 patient.

A passenger wearing a face mask as he shows a green QR code on his phone to show his health status to security upon arrival at Wenzhou railway station in Wenzhou, China - NOEL CELIS /AFP
A passenger wearing a face mask as he shows a green QR code on his phone to show his health status to security upon arrival at Wenzhou railway station in Wenzhou, China - NOEL CELIS /AFP

The app varies slightly depending on the province or city. In Wuhan, people are only able to ride on public transport if they have a green health code.

Concerns have been raised by users who warn that the app is invasive. It logs a person’s medical records, passport information, contact details and recent travel.

Denmark

Denmark is set to roll out its version of a Covid-19 passport in May. The pass will be linked to a secure digital ID system called NemID, which is used in much of Europe.

In order to access services including hairdressers and restaurants, citizens will need proof of a vaccination, a recent negative test or an earlier infection.

The "Coronapas" is set to be a major part of the easing of restrictions from May 21, after which all over-50s and high risk groups will be vaccinated.

Cases, deaths and vaccinations, coronavirus world map
Cases, deaths and vaccinations, coronavirus world map

Israel

Israel has given inoculated citizens or those who have recovered from Covid-19 a "Green Pass", permitting them to use gyms and hotels. Israelis can decide between a paper or digital pass. The system relies on a government-run database that stores and checks all vaccination data.

However, the rollout of the pass has not been perfect, enforcement has been patchy and there are limitations in its requirements. Foreign nationals also are unable to access the system, while those who are immunised but not insured with an Israeli healthcare provider face a similar challenge.

Jewish worshippers pray in large separated cubicles near the Western Wall during the Priestly Blessing on the holiday of Passover, in Jerusalem - EMMANUEL DUNAND /AFP
Jewish worshippers pray in large separated cubicles near the Western Wall during the Priestly Blessing on the holiday of Passover, in Jerusalem - EMMANUEL DUNAND /AFP

More than half of Israel’s population have already received two vaccine doses, making their vaccination programme one of the fastest in the world.

Japan

Japan is set to issue digital health certificates to citizens who have been vaccinated this month, according to the newspaper Nikkei.

The passport will be managed on a mobile app and debut in a matter of weeks. Proof of vaccination will allow people to board a plane or check into a hotel.

It will extend to foreigners staying in Japan and returning to their respective home countries, Nikkei said.

Coronavirus Japan Spotlight Chart - cases default
Coronavirus Japan Spotlight Chart - cases default

South Korea

South Korea will introduce their own system later this month. According to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, the app uses blockchain technology which will prevent it from being counterfeited.

It will be issued to immunised citizens, but also extended to international travellers who have been vaccinated.

Over 850,000 South Koreans have been vaccinated since the country began its vaccination programme on February 26.

United States

Infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has indicated that the United States will not require a vaccination passport.

However, New York has begun rolling out its own version. The app, called an Excelsior Pass, is the first of its kind to be introduced in the country.

Two girls wearing masks record a 'TikTok' in Times Square  - Alexi Rosenfeld /Getty Images North America 
Two girls wearing masks record a 'TikTok' in Times Square - Alexi Rosenfeld /Getty Images North America

The system is based on IBM’s blockchain-based digital health pass technology, which could put them in a position of providing passes elsewhere.

The pass can be printed out if required and a QR code can be scanned to verify negative test results or proof of vaccination. Governor Andrew Cuomo said the app "heralds the next step in our thoughtful, science-based reopening".

Some venues have already begun asking for proof of vaccination before entry, while those who have been immunised are allowed to hold larger gatherings, including weddings.

Recommended Stories

  • Dr. Drew Denounces Vaccine Passports And Gets Dragged By Twitter Users

    The medical doctor and media personality didn't seem to realize that vaccinations have been required for international travel for decades.

  • Brink's acquires biggest privately held provider of ATM services in U.S. PAI Inc.

    The Brinks Co. said Tuesday it has acquired PAI Inc., the biggest privately held provider of ATM services in the U.S., for $213 million. PAI is expected to generate revenue of about $320 million in a currently full-year basis, Brinks said in a statement. The cash management and cash-in-transit company said given the deal's closing date of April 1, it expects PAI to add about $%240 million of revenue to the company's 2021 results and is expected to boost earnings. The Dallas, Texas-based company has 225 employees at three U.S. locations and another 12 field locations. Brink's financed the deal using cash on hand and its available credit facility. "A primary goal of Brink's Strategy 2.3 is to offer ATM solutions integrated with other Brink's solutions to provide complete, end-to-end cash management," the company said. The deal brings the company a platform of ATM services and more than 100,000 ATM service locations in the U.S. In Europe, Brink's will take full ownership and provide managed services to financial institutions for more than 11,000 ATMs. Brink's shares were not active premarket, but have gained 12% in the year to date, while the S&P 500 has gained 8.6%.

  • Who Is Regé-Jean Page (AKA Simon in ‘Bridgerton’)? And Why Does He Look Familiar?

    It didn’t take long for Bridgerton to become one of Netflix’s most-watched TV shows . If...

  • Analysis: Results vary in NBA with trades, buyouts

    LaMarcus Aldridge's first game in a month, with Brooklyn, was quite a bit smoother - 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the former San Antonio player in a breezy win over Charlotte. Both veterans joined their new teams after taking buyouts, adding to a list of other teams incorporating newcomers after deals before the trading deadline late last month. Chicago lost its first four games after acquiring two-time All-Star Nicola Vucevic from Orlando.

  • Congressman Alcee Hastings, who served in US House since 1995, dies at 84

    Longtime U.S. Congressman Alcee Hastings, a Florida Democrat, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2019.

  • WHO does not back vaccination passports for now - spokeswoman

    The World Health Organization does not back requiring vaccination passports for travel due to uncertainty over whether inoculation prevents transmission of the virus, as well as equity concerns, a spokeswoman said on Tuesday. "We as WHO are saying at this stage we would not like to see the vaccination passport as a requirement for entry or exit because we are not certain at this stage that the vaccine prevents transmission," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said. The WHO now expects to review China's COVID-19 vaccines Sinopharm and Sinovac for possible emergency use listing around the end of April, Harris said.

  • IMF upgrades forecast for 2021 global growth to a record 6%

    The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and vast sums of government aid will accelerate global economic growth to a record high this year in a powerful rebound from the pandemic recession, the International Monetary Fund says in its latest forecast. The 190-country lending agency said Tuesday that it expects the world economy to expand 6% in 2021, up from the 5.5% it had forecast in January. It would be the fastest expansion for the global economy in IMF records dating back to 1980.

  • Deportations plunge under President Biden

    Former Chief of U.S. Border Patrol Ron Vitiello argues the shift in enforcement at the border only benefits 'criminal cartels.'

  • Train hits girl and throws her off a railroad bridge, Arkansas cops say. She survived

    “Obviously, this incident could’ve turned out tragically.”

  • Mysterious disappearance of hog farm worker in North Carolina leads to murder charge

    The search for the worker’s body continues, police said.

  • Ukraine calls for path into NATO after Russia masses troops

    KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on NATO on Tuesday to lay out a path for Ukraine to join the Western military alliance, after days in which Russia has massed troops near the conflict-hit Donbass region. Zelenskiy's comments drew an immediate rebuke from Moscow, which said Kyiv's approach to NATO could further inflame the situation in Donbass, where violence has increased in recent days.

  • Home buyers are flooding into Myrtle Beach and making ‘risky’ purchases. Who are they?

    Myrtle Beach has thousands of people coming in from other states, fighting over the few homes the region has for sale. We have tips from real estate agents on how to buy, or sell, a house in this market.

  • Gardening in April: what to plant and tidy in your garden this month

    Ready, get set, go, go, go! For gardeners, April is the traditional time to get stuck into gardening jobs, big or small, and summer planting. Below, our list makes it easy to plan, sort and create your garden this month. Lavender Plant lavender hedges as the soil is warming. Avoid French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) and go for more robust English lavender (L. angustifolia). 'Hidcote’ is suited to hedging. Visit downderry-nursery.co.uk. Quick cukes Cucumbers are quick growing and there is still time to sow some, particularly if you choose the small-fruited varieties. I love 'Miniature White’ from realseeds.co.uk, which produces small, pale fruits just a couple of inches long. Guard against grazers

  • Southern border woes dent Biden approval on immigration, poll finds

    More Americans disapprove than approve of how President Joe Biden is handling the sharply increasing number of unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, and approval of his efforts on larger immigration policy falls short of other top issues — suggesting it could be a weak point for the new administration.

  • A Miami affair to remember: Larsa Pippen and her married boyfriend split. What we know

    They said it wouldn’t last.

  • 62 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine need to be checked for contamination and may need to be thrown out, the New York Times reports

    The millions of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses have to be checked thanks to a cross contamination issue that ruined up to 15 million doses.

  • Woman shot by Miami-Dade police during eviction at Brickell apartment, officials say

    A woman was shot Tuesday afternoon as Miami-Dade police officers were serving an eviction at a high-rise apartment building in Brickell, authorities said.

  • Manufacturer that ruined 15 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses once got a $163 million federal contract to improve its facility: NYT

    The federal government first invested in the Emergent BioSolutions more than eight years ago, the New York Times reported.

  • Facebook, Google, and other tech giants donated tens of thousands of dollars to a Republican group that's pushing voter suppression laws

    After pledging to halt all political contributions in early 2021, Facebook donated $50,000 to a Republican group that supports voter suppression laws.

  • Georgia Governor Slams MLB for Moving All-Star Game to Colorado Despite Similar Voting Laws

    Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Tuesday blasted Major League Baseball’s decision to pull the 2021 All-Star game from Atlanta over a new voting law and relocate the game to Colorado, which has some similar and even more restrictive voting laws. On Friday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement that after “thoughtful conversations with Clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance” he had decided that the “best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft.” Manfred said MLB “fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box.” According to the Associated Press, the MLB plans to move the game to Denver’s Coors Field. “Georgia has 17 days of in-person early voting including two optional Sundays, Colorado has 15,” Kemp said in an appearance on Fox News. “So what I’m being told, they also have a photo ID requirement. So it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.” While Georgia requires identification for all in-person and absentee voting, Colorado law requires identification for in-person voting and first-time mail-in voters may be required to include a copy of their ID with their ballot. After first-time mail-in votes, Colorado uses signature matching for absentee ballots. Georgia voters without ID can use the last four digits of their social security number, a utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or another government document with their name and address on it, according to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office. Colorado automatically sends absentee ballots to all registered voters; Georgia sends the ballots only upon request in order to prevent sending ballots to the wrong address or to those no longer eligible to vote. Kemp also called President Biden’s appearance at the NCAA championship game in Indiana “so hypocritical” as the governor said the state is “the birthplace for the photo ID requirement.” MLB moved the All-Star game after Biden told ESPN that he would “strongly support” moving the July 13 game because of the law he described as “Jim Crow on steroids.”