Israel and the EU agree to recognize COVID-19 vaccine certificates

According to a joint statement, the program will take effect in early October.

This coronavirus travel program will allow vaccinated and recovered Israelis to travel to EU member states and other program member countries and have their certificate recognized by their destination country. At the same time, travelers from member countries will also have recognized vaccination and recovery certificates in Israel.

The program will also apply to people who have received coronavirus recovery certificates. The Ministry of Health has not yet decided whether to allow the participation of people with test certificates.

The program also allows Israelis to have access to the EU Green Pass, which gives access to restaurants, cultural centers, public institutions and the like in accordance with each country’s coronavirus guidelines.

It will also prepare the ground for the opening of the Israeli tourism sector to European visitors.

“The ability to travel and visit the world is a basis for securing ties between peoples and countries,” said Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

The EU began using the program among member states on July 1, 2021. It has since spread to neighboring countries; by the time Israel officially launches its membership, there should be between 35 and 40 participating states.

Some of the other countries involved in the program are Morocco and Turkey.

Here’s how it works: The Ministry of Health has its own digital signature key, which is stored in a secure database in the country. At the same time, all vaccinated Israelis have a personal but public key that was assigned at the time of the vaccination. This personal key can be verified by scanning a secure QR code that can be placed on a digital or physical certificate.

The code contains only the necessary key information such as name, date of birth, date of issue of the vaccine and any other relevant information about the vaccine. It also contains a unique identifier.

When the code is scanned, such as a border officer, the data is not shared and the person or country performing the scan does not capture, transfer or store it. Rather, it remains on the certificate. However, the scanner can confirm the validity and authenticity of the certificate and who issued and signed it.

This works because the European Commission built a “gateway” through which all certificate signatures can be verified by any country joining the program. Israel had been working on a similar concept and therefore slightly modified its own design to meet the common design standards of the European Commission.

As early as December 2020, the Ministry of Health examined the possibility of a standardized vaccine passport or a certificate program that could be used by all international travelers who meet the medical criteria. The World Health Organization opposed these certificates, mainly because the organization believed that “the use of immunity certificates for international travel in the context of COVID-19 is not currently supported by scientific evidence.”

However, much research has been done since then on the impact of vaccination on the onset and spread of disease, and it is understood that vaccines, while not infallible, prevent the spread of the disease.

In a December report on the subject, the WHO also cited “ethical, legal and human rights issues related to the privacy of personal data and medical confidentiality; the potential for falsification or involvement in risky behavior based on a false sense of security; stigma; and discrimination ”as grounds for reconsideration of certificates.

The vials labeled Pfizer-BioNTech and Modern coronavirus (COVID-19) are shown in this illustrated image taken on March 19, 2021. (Credit: REUTERS / DADO RUVIC / ILLUSTRATION / FILE PHOTO)

The EU’s digital COVID certificate program addresses most of these issues, and joining the EU program would alleviate the need for Israel to create its own international travel program.

Israel had maintained a dialogue on the formation of bilateral agreements with countries over the past year until multilateral agreements such as this could be established. The country also shared best practices and consulted with other countries on how best to run a certificate program.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Health said the measure represents “revolutionary progress” and is a “truly significant step forward”.

It should be emphasized, however, that the program does not alleviate compliance with the COVID standards of any destination country.

For example, foreigners wishing to enter Israel will have to apply for and meet the country’s criteria. Passengers must complete a PCR test within 72 hours of boarding and landing.

However, they should no longer verify their vaccination or recovery by showing that they have antibodies using a serological test.

“This is how we will work in all walks of life,” Horowitz said, “a decisive fight against the virus and a great effort toward vaccination, keeping the economy open.”