Vaccination Cards Still Required by Some Counties

Now that the U.S. federal government is not distributing COVID-19 vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has discontinued issuing new proof of vaccination cards, reported the AP on October 4, 2023.

The federal government shipped more than 980 million vaccination cards between late 2020 through early May 2023, according to the latest available data from the CDC.

Previously, the CDC posted a notice of End to Requirement for air passengers to provide proof of COVID-19 Vaccination before visiting the U.S. in May 2023.

However, the European community is prepared to continue verifying a person's vaccination status. The E.U. Digital COVID certificate was issued to more than 2.3 billion people across 51 countries.

The WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) became effective in Europe on July 1, 2023, and has integrated the E.U. certificate into the GDHCN.

The GDHCN's digital capabilities may include verification of vaccinations and prescriptions across borders, the International Patient Summary, verification of vaccination certificates within and across borders, and certification of public health professionals through the WHO Academy.

The U.S. State Department recently launched the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy.

The Bureau's overarching mission is to fortify the global health security architecture to effectively prevent, detect, control, and respond to infectious diseases.

By leveraging and coordinating U.S. foreign assistance, the Bureau aims to foster robust international cooperation, enhancing protection for the U.S. and the global community against health threats through strengthened systems and policies, wrote U.S. Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken on August 1, 2023.

Historically, some countries utilized the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), known as the yellow card, to confirm yellow fever and polio vaccinations.

As of 2022, the WHO published an updated Country List to identify which countries require an ICVP to enter.