Bahrain launches digital Covid-19 vaccine passport

Bahrain has launched a digital Covid-19 vaccine passport, one of the first countries to do so, the Gulf state`s media office said on Wednesday.

Governments and developers around the world are exploring how certificates and passports could help to reopen economies by identifying those protected against COVID-19.

Bahrain`s `BeAware` app displays a green shield alongside an official certificate detailing the person`s name, date of birth, nationality and which vaccine was received.

Users must have received two doses of a vaccine, separated by 21 days, and then wait for two weeks for antibodies to develop, the statement said.

“Authorities can verify its validity by scanning a QR code linking to the national vaccine register,” it said.

Denmark has said it would launch an initial version of a coronavirus vaccination passport by the end of February.

Sweden also plans to launch a vaccine passport by summer, assuming there is an international standard in place for the document by then, the government said two weeks ago.

Bahrain, a small island state with a population of around 1.5 million, offers citizens and residents free of charge the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, one manufactured by Chinese state-backed pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm, the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and Russia`s Sputnik V vaccine.