UK Vaccine Passport: NHS App to be Used as Vaccination Proof as Restrictions Ease

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 11 May 2021, 11:05 am

COVID-19 Vaccine — (Photo : Pixabay/alirazagurmani9272 ) COVID-19 vaccine passport

The UK's NHS app will be available to use as a vaccine passport starting May 17, but it will be available only for those who have had both doses.

NHS App as Vaccine Passport

Aside from the app, a paper version will be available too. Those who need the passport will have to call 119. Both of the versions will be available next week when the ban on foreign travel is eased, according to BBC.

The NHS app is separate to the NHS COVID-19 app, which is used for contact tracing. People can use the NHS app to request repeat prescriptions, arrange appointments to see their doctor, and view their medical records.

The app also shows vaccine statuses, including for coronavirus, but currently this feature must be enabled by a general practitioner before it appears.

Also Read: How NHS COVID-19 App Works: Find Out How To Download, Activate, and Explore The Features

New update will have a separate feature to display coronavirus vaccine records, so the government said there should be no need to contact GPs. Also, the app will not show coronavirus test results, but the NHS plans to incorporate this in the future. It advised people to register to use the app at least two weeks before travelling.

Meanwhile, the paper passport can be requested only at least five days after a second vaccine dose and can take 5 days to arrive, Evening Standard reported.

Pre-departure test

The government has announced 12 countries people in England can travel to, without having to quarantine when they return. However, not all of these destinations allow UK tourists.

For example, travel to mainland Portugal and the Azores is currently for essential purposes only. The list will be reviewed every three weeks. Countries can be added or removed at short notice.

The government has been transparent with how they plan to use the NHS app as a vaccine passport. It had been assumed it depended on getting GPs to share a patient's data with the app.

A Department of Health spokeswomen stated that NHS X, the health service digital division, has designed an update to the app which does not depend on GP records.

The update won't go live until May 17, and will give a new tab displaying the vaccine record, the idea being that this is all needed to show instead of any other sensitive data being visible.

What is not clear, however, is whether this solation will be acceptable to foreign airlines or border police.

Going on Holiday

Travelers also need to take coronavirus tests before returning to England and after arrival. Some countries may also require tests to be taken upon entry to the holiday destination, as per The BMJ.

European officials have announced plans for an EU-wide "Green Digital Certificate." This would allow anyone who is vaccinated against COVID-19 or anyone who has tested negative or recently recovered from the virus to travel within the region.

Officials hope that the certificate will be in place before the summer. Several companies have been working on apps to make travel easier, including trade body the International Air Transport Association, who are piloting Travel Pass. It said that it has been in discussion with the government to make sure that the pass can read data from the NHS App.