SA’s Digital Vaccination Certificate and what it means for us
In exciting news, South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccine certificate system has officially been launched by our Department of Health. Why is this important you may ask? Well, for those who have been vaccinated locally as part of the Covid-19 vaccination drive, you would have received a paper vaccination certificate that contains details of your vaccination, corresponding vaccination reference code and dates of the first and second vaccination if you have had the Pfizer vaccination which requires two doses, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine which only requires a single shot. Having a paper certificate as well as a vaccination reference number is all good and well for now, however that paper certificate is one that a.) can be relatively easily misplaced, b.) copied or falsified, but also c.) a paper certificate is not accepted by all countries as proof of vaccination, especially as it requires manual verification, and lastly d.) it’s a cumbersome way to showcase that proof of vaccination. With all of this in mind, it is essential that South Africa looks to roll out a digital vaccination certificate and system so that we make it easy for South Africans to travel to and from the country, as well as for tourists. It will also give the government a more effective way to monitor the overall vaccination uptake rate long-term.
Like the roll-out of any online system, there were of course some teething issues. However, the system is designed to provide a digital version of the physical vaccination card that you would have received at the time of your vaccination, and will be linked to the vaccination code that was issued by the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS). The digital vaccination certificate will also include a scannable QR (quick response) code which will allow the certificate to be scanned as required at public places and points of entry and exit both locally and internationally. Internationally, some countries require their citizens to present and scan such a certificate in order to gain entry to restaurants, events, stadiums and more. The South African Department of Health envisions similar use cases locally. One of the biggest motivators for the rollout of such a system is of course travel as outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa on the announcement of SA’s move to adjusted alert level 1 lockdown.
According to President Ramaphosa the digital vaccine certificate “can be used to facilitate travel, [for] access to establishments and gatherings, and other forms of activity that require proof of vaccination status. Streamlining and standardising proof of vaccination will also go a long way towards getting a number of international travel restrictions both from and into our country eased.” The digital version can be accessed online or as a PDF and used on your phone, there is a small input process required on the end users part in terms of SA ID or passport number, as well as the vaccine code etcetera. The rollout will happen in phases with phase one being the generation and availability of a digital vaccine certificate. Phase two will include a QR reader app, followed by a mobile application too. If you have been vaccinated and want your digital vaccine certificate, use the following link and follow the steps required: https://vaccine.certificate.health.gov.za/ .