Corona pandemic Pharmacies are now issuing digital vaccination certificates
Berlin · Just in time for the summer holiday season, it will now be possible to provide proof of corona vaccination via smart phone. Pharmacies are hoping that not everyone will come at once.
From today, people who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus can collect a digital vaccination certificate at pharmacies. However, pharmacists' associations have pointed out that there are a limited number of pharmacies participating during the first few days due to technical and organisational reasons and have asked for patience.
The website ‘mein-apothekenmanager.de’ is intended to show which local pharmacies are offering the digital vaccination certificate. It is a voluntary supplement to the yellow paper vaccination booklet, which is still valid. Germany is implementing an European Union project, for which uniform details of a certificate were agreed upon. This can be used as proof of vaccination, testing and recovery from Covid-19. The app can be used when corona restrictions have been relaxed and will facilitate travel in Europe during the summer holiday season.
Digital vaccination certificate: QR code to be provided at the vaccination centre
The proof is stored in a so-called QR code consisting of black and white squares, which in future will usually be provided along with the second vaccination dose at the vaccination centre or by the doctor. Using certain mobile phone apps, the code can then be scanned and presented. In addition to the CovPass app and the government’s Corona warning app, it will also be possible to use the Luca app from Wednesday.
Following a test phase, the vaccination centres, doctors' surgeries and pharmacies will now gradually join the scheme, according to the Federal Ministry of Health. The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians emphasised that for technical reasons there would not be an immediate nationwide start in surgeries.
Digital vaccination certificates cannot yet be issued in NRW
If, when and how the vaccination centres and doctors will also be able to issue certificates for the around 20 million people who were fully vaccinated before the introduction of the digital certificate, depends on the respective federal state. In Bavaria or Saxony-Anhalt, for example, people who have already been vaccinated in vaccination centres are to be given access to the certificate via specially set-up websites. In Baden-Württemberg, according to the Ministry of Health, vaccination certificates are to be sent out retrospectively by post in the next few weeks.
In Thuringia, on the other hand, the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians declared that subsequently issuing the digital vaccination certificate for those who had already been vaccinated in vaccination centres would not be possible due to the amount of work involved. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians stated that electronic vaccination certificates cannot be issued in doctors' practices and vaccination centres for the time being.
(Original text: dpa, Translation: Caroline Kusch)
