The European Union (EU) Covid-19 Digital Certificate has, as of Tuesday, an official validity of nine months for vaccination, in the context of travel within the community space, and must also include information on booster doses.
As proposed by the European Commission and agreed by the EU Member States in the Council, “from tomorrow [Tuesday] the new rules on a standard acceptance period of 270 days for Covid-19 Digital Certificates will apply. of the EU, in terms of vaccination, used for travel within the EU", recalls the community executive in a statement.
Thus, “Member States must accept vaccination certificates for a period of 270 days – nine months – from the completion of the primary vaccination series”, i.e. after the second two-dose vaccination or one in the case of a single dose , explains the institution, noting that countries should not adopt different deadlines for travel within the EU.
These rules do not apply to booster vaccine certificates.
Still, the EU Covid-19 Digital Certificates must officially include from Tuesday the information about these additional doses, which are being administered to the EU adult population in several European countries.
The booster vaccine must be registered as 3/3 in the case of a two-dose primary series or 2/1 in the case of a single dose, according to the Community rules in force since December.
“Certificates that were issued differently prior to this clarification need to be corrected and re-issued to ensure that booster doses can be distinguished from full vaccination status.”
Cited by the note, the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, stresses that the new nine-month validity for the primary vaccination series “reflects the decrease in vaccine protection and underlines the importance of obtaining a booster vaccine”.
"With the support of experts from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the European Medicines Agency, the Commission will closely monitor whether future adaptations to this rule are necessary", concludes Didier Reynders.
At stake is the EU Digital Certificate, proof of (negative) testing, vaccination or recovery of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which came into force in the Union at the beginning of July 2021.
Last Tuesday, EU Member States agreed that people with a valid Covid-19 Certificate, such as vaccinated or recovered, should not be subject to additional restrictions on free movement, such as testing or quarantine, to facilitate travel within space. community.
In practice, this means that there will be a person-based approach, rather than travel origin regions, based on each traveler's vaccination, testing or recovery status.
At a time of high resurgence in cases of infection due to the Ómicron variant, experts predict that the majority of Europeans will gain natural immunity through contagion or protection due to vaccines, so countries are now starting to lift additional taxes for vaccinated travelers from the EU. .
The final decision on travel rests with the Member States.
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