Gov’t eyes issuance of digital vax certificates by end-August, September

This picture taken in Paris on July 20, 2021, shows a mobile phone whose screen bears the EU Digital Covid Certificate. – The French government announced on 12 July 2021 that the Covid-19 health passport is mandatory to access most public places. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The government aims to issue digital vaccine certificates for international travel by the end of August or the start of September, the chairperson of the National Vaccine Operations Center (NVOC) said Tuesday.

“By end of August or the beginning of September, we hope we can already start automation and we will now have the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) issue the digitized vaccine certificates,” Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje told an online media briefing.

Cabotaje said updates on the initiative will be provided two to three weeks from now.

“We will see how it is going to look in the next two, three weeks. We will have a bird’ eye view of what is going to be issued in terms of the digital vaccination certifications being developed by the DICT together with DOH (Department of Health),” she added.

Cabotaje noted that some airlines may require vaccination certificates to facilitate safe travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. She added that other countries are also developing their own vaccination certificates.

“We just want to provide persons with vaccine certificates, basically for travel requirements when they go abroad so that mas madali, mas efficient, and more standard ‘yung ating vaccination certificates (so that their travel will be more efficient and the vaccination certificates will be more standardized),” she added.

RELATED STORIES

Gov’t to issue COVID-19 vaccine passports — DOH

‘Vaccine passport’ to be issued for foreign travel – DICT

/MUF