Guidance has been unveiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for countries and their partners on the technical requirements for issuing digital certificates for Covid-19 vaccinations.
The certificates are a mechanism by which people’s Covid-19 health data can be digitally documented and provide information about their vaccination status.
The WHO says digital certificates should never require individuals to have a smartphone or computer but they can be stored on such devices or can be a digital representation of the traditional paper-based record.
The link between the paper record and the digital record can be established using a barcode, for example, printed on or affixed to the paper vaccination card.
The guidance aims to support member states adopting digital tools for effective health care and “proof of vaccination should it be needed for other purposes”, WHO said.
Leading companies including Google and Facebook are rolling out policies requiring staff to be fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile a host of US airlines, retailers, tech companies, banks, and health care companies have told employees that vaccinations will no longer be optional to come into the office.