First in the world: China launches digital vaccine passport
It was expected and the first application in the world came from China. China today launched its digital vaccination passport for use on overseas travel.
The passport, which records information such as whether the person was vaccinated, whether he had a coronavirus, and when the last test was, was made available to Chinese citizens through China’s domestic social network platform “WeChat”.
A spokesman for the State Department said the practice was launched “with the aim of developing the global economy and helping facilitate cross-border travel”.
Stating that the vaccine passport in question is currently only valid for Chinese citizens, the authorities stated that it is not mandatory to apply.
It was stated that the passport, which has two versions, digital and paper versions, is the first known “vaccination passport” in the world.
The USA and the UK are currently among the countries considering similar permits.
The European Union, on the other hand, is working to issue a “green passport” that will allow its citizens to travel on and off the continent.
Xinhua news agency reported that the program includes a QR code that allows each country to access health information for Chinese citizens.
Since the end of March 2020, Beijing has allowed only Chinese citizens and a limited number of foreigners to enter the country’s territory.
