The Ministry of Health (MoH) is expected to issue digital vaccine passports to people in need from next week, said Nguyen Ba Hung, deputy director of medical data center under the ministry's Department of Information Technology.

Vietnam has made efforts to issue a digital certificate of Covid-19 vaccination since late 2021, in preparation for the return of international tourists, Hung said, adding that after a one-week trial, the cross-functional system has been functioning well in issuing digital vaccine passports.

The pilot project has been carried out at three Hanoi hospitals: Bach Mai, E, and K which were chosen for being the major hospitals in the capital city with well-organized storage of Covid-19 vaccination data, Hung said.

Vietnam's vaccine passport form. Photo: The MoH

He noted that the MoH last December issued a decision on promulgating the template and procedures for issuing vaccine passports that would make it more convenient for people to travel and do business.

To get a digital vaccine passport, people must declare accurate information which would be reviewed by immunization agencies based on the national database for authentication.

Everyone who has been vaccinated and their information stored on the vaccination management platform will be given a QR code displayed on the PC Covid or the “So Suc Khoe Dien Tu” (Electronic Health Book) applications for checking when going abroad.

As of March 23, Vietnam has administered 202 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine nationwide. The country’s vaccine passport will contain personal information including the types of vaccines administered and the number of doses given. The information is encrypted and stored in a QR code, which expires 12 months after it is created.

The vaccine passport is expected to be useful after Vietnam fully reopened its borders from March 15, facilitating both inbound and outbound tourism.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Vietnam had reached an agreement on the mutual recognition of vaccine passports with 17 countries as of March 17, including Australia, Belarus, Cambodia, Egypt, India, Japan, Maldives, New Zealand, Palestine, the Philippines, Saint Lucia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the US, the UK.

Holders of vaccine passports of these countries and Vietnam are entitled to the same treatment, the MoFA noted, adding that the recognition includes the exemption of procedures for consular authentication/legalization in the host country.

Besides, Vietnam has so far accepted Covid-19 vaccination certificate forms of 79 countries and territories officially submitted to the MoFA.