Bahrain has become one of the first countries in the world to introduce a digital COVID-19 vaccine passport for its citizens.
Governments and developers around the world are exploring how certificates and passports could help to reopen economies by identifying those protected against COVID-19.
According to the reports, a vaccination pass or passport is documentation proving that the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Some updated versions of the passport will also allow people to show that they have tested negative for the virus, and so they can travel more easily.
Bahrain’s BeAware App will allow individuals to show their immunity status two weeks after receiving both doses of the jab when antibodies have started developing. The green ‘COVID-19 Vaccinated’ shield is accompanied by an official certificate detailing the users’ name, date of birth, nationality, and which vaccine they have received.
The officials can check the certificate’s validity by scanning a QR code that links to the national vaccine registry. Users must have received two doses of the vaccine, with 21 days between each, in order to access the digital certificate.
Denmark and Sweden are the other countries developing similar programs, with both nations planning to launch the service in the upcoming weeks.
The launch follows the new estimates released by the IMF predicting that Bahrain’s economy will expand by 3.3 percent in 2021, driven by its rapid policy response to mitigate the effects of the pandemic.
Last month, Bahrain opened free vaccine appointments to the entire nation, offering all citizens and residents a choice of jab. After filling in their personal details, the users can select between Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, or Sputnik V.
