Digital corona vaccination certificate

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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With immediate effect, the digital proof of vaccination for Sars-CoV-2 will be gradually introduced in Germany. It is intended to make it easier to provide evidence when traveling or for events or visits to restaurants. Here you can read how it works, how to get it and how safe it is.

What is the digital corona vaccination certificate?

With the digital "Corona vaccination pass" you can prove that you currently have complete vaccination protection against Sars-CoV-2. Using an individual QR code that can be called up on your smartphone, you can use the new vaccination certificate to show the vaccination certificate quickly and easily when traveling and, if necessary, before events or other activities.

The data is stored in the CovPass app, the Corona warning app and the Luca app, which are available free of charge in the app stores (AppleStore, Google Play).

Will those who have recovered and who have been tested also use the verification apps?

Yes. Negative corona tests can also be stored in the CovPass app, the corona warning app and the Luca app as a “test certificate” or “recovery certificate”. However, this only applies to those that were carried out by an official body.

This includes PCR or antigen tests from a test center or certified laboratory. Self-tests for personal use do not count.

Is the use of the digital Corona vaccination certificate mandatory?

No. The digital vaccination certificate is a voluntary offer that is intended as an uncomplicated alternative to presenting the yellow vaccination pass or to the written status certificate from the health department as "recovered". However, these continue to be valid. There is also the option of simply showing the printout of the QR code.

When will the digital vaccination certificate be available?

Vaccination centers, medical practices and pharmacies are now setting up the necessary technical requirements step by step to issue the digital vaccination certificate. This should be largely completed by the end of June 2021.

How do I get the proof?

In future, you will receive the QR code that you need for the digital vaccination certificate directly as a printout at the vaccination center or from your vaccinating doctor. You then scan the code with your smartphone and upload it using a corresponding app (CovPass app, Corona warning app, Luca app).

Keep the issued QR codes so that you can scan them again if necessary (for example when changing cell phones).

How do I get the code if I have already been vaccinated?

In many federal states, those who have already been vaccinated will receive the code by post from the vaccination center where they were vaccinated. Anyone who has been vaccinated by a doctor can have the code issued by certified doctors, hospitals and pharmacies on presentation of the vaccination pass.

How does the digital vaccination certificate work?

If you want to prove your Covid protection status before a concert, a visit to a restaurant or a trip, you no longer need to present your vaccination certificate or other paper-based certificates.

A special QR code then appears in your app, which the inspectors scan with an appropriate device - similar to the ticket inspection in the train. There it appears in red or green whether the proof is valid.Your name and date of birth can also be viewed - so that it can be checked whether you are actually the owner of the proof.

Since the data is (only) stored centrally on your mobile phone, neither mobile phone reception nor WLAN or data connection is necessary to access the digital vaccination record.

How secure are my data in the digital vaccination certificate?

The vaccination certificate only contains information about the time of vaccination, the vaccine administered, as well as your name and date of birth. The latter are necessary in order to match your identity with the certificate presented by photo ID.

This data is only created for a short time in the vaccination log system and then deleted there. The data is only permanently stored decentrally on your smartphone. This also applies to information on negative tests and evidence of a survived infection.

Criticism: parallel structure and concern for data protection

The World Health Organization (WHO) is cautious about the European Commission's plans. She evaluates the EU-wide digital vaccination certificate as a solo effort by the European Union.

The digital vaccination certificate is planned as a temporary measure. This means that it only applies as long as the corona pandemic lasts. As soon as the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the end of the international health emergency, this vaccination certificate will probably also lose its function.

There are also concerns about data protection from various quarters, since not only doctors or authorities should have access to the health data, but private third parties could also have access, for example the reception of a hotel, your travel agency or possibly the concert organizer.

Is a Europe-wide regulation planned?

Yes. The current German solution was introduced because the European solution still needs time. The German solution already makes traveling easier.

A Europe-wide document - also known as a "digital green certificate" - should then be valid in all states of the European Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. Via an interface provided by the EU, the digital vaccination certificate can be checked by all member states if necessary.

The digital EU vaccination certificate is primarily intended to make traveling within the EU easier. People who have such an EU certificate do not have to present an additional Covid-19 test at the inner-European borders - for example when traveling from Germany to France. A quarantine should also be omitted when crossing the border.

However, each member state decides for itself how the further individual design of this regulation looks.

Is a central vaccination register planned?

No. The data is not stored centrally.

Are there any other vaccinations listed?

No. The concept of the digital vaccination certificate or "EU vaccination certificate", which the European Commission presented on March 17, 2021, should not be confused with the "e-vaccination pass" as part of the ePA, embedded in the telematics infrastructure. There are two different procedures.

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