Sweden has announced that it wants to start developing digital vaccine certificates, for use for travel and possibly more, following a similar move to Denmark the day before.
Both Scandinavian countries have said the coronavirus vaccination certificates would be designed to allow citizens to travel abroad, but also pointed out that they could be used to determine if someone was getting the vaccine if they were attending something like a sporting or cultural event.
“With a digital vaccine certificate it will be quick and easy to verify a completed vaccine,” Sweden’s minister for digital development, Anders Ygeman, said in a statement.
The Swedish government said it hoped to have the infrastructure for the issuance of digital certificates by June.
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Denmark, which announced its program a day earlier, said it would first publish an online registry that could be accessed to check someone’s vaccine status, which they hope to be at the end of February, while it develops a long-term technical solution.
Although the Danish government has said it will hold a final decision on whether the “corona licenses” can be used for more travel purposes – awaiting further research into whether people could be vaccinated against the virus. past – the aim is to lead to “a gradual, stable and appropriate reopening of Denmark”.
“It is absolutely essential, if we are to restart Danish society, that companies get back on track,” acting finance minister Morten Bødskov said in a statement.
Both countries also said that efforts would be made to bring the national qualifications into line with international qualifications being debated at the World Health Organization and at EU level.
The WHO has commented on digital certificates for the vaccine in the past but in January said it currently wanted them to be used as a travel requirement.
The head of the European commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in January backed the idea of using certificates to identify people who received the injection, but said “whether that gives priority or access to certain products. , this is a political and legal decision. that needs to be discussed at European level ”.
Christian Wigand, considering for the commission, on Thursday told reporters that the issue was discussed at the last meeting of the Council of Europe between the heads of state and government and it was concluded that the work on a standardized, interactive form of testing should the vaccine for medical purposes continue ”.
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When asked if countries could move forward on their own, Wigand simply said “we have always been pushing for more coordination, we will continue to do so, especially when which leads to travel and travel restrictions ”.