OFFICIAL: The vaccination certificate against COVID-19 will be valid for 9 months, from February 1, 2022!
Following the green light from the European Council, the Commission of the European Union has announced the reduction of the period of validity of the vaccination certificate against COVID-19. According to the new rules adopted, the EU Vaccination Certificate will be valid for a period of 270 days / 9 months.
The EU Commission states that the period of validity was based on available scientific evidence as well as objective criteria.
"This period of validity shall take into account the guidelines of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, according to which booster doses are recommended no later than six months after the end of the first vaccination cycle. The certificate will remain valid for a further grace period of three months beyond the six months, to ensure that national vaccination campaigns can adapt and that citizens will have access to booster doses.", Explains the Commission of the European Union.
Data released by the Commission show that 807 million EU COVID digital certificates have been issued so far, while more than 60 countries and territories on five continents have joined the system through which these certificates are verified.
The EU COVID digital certificate will be valid for 270 days
According to the Commission, with the new period of validity of the certificates, the booster doses will also be registered in the certificates. The booster doses of the two-dose vaccination series will be recorded as "3/3", while the booster doses of single-dose vaccinators will be recorded as "2/1".
At the same time, those who have recovered from COVID-19 and received the first dose of vaccine (of the two basic doses) will have it recorded as "2/1" in their certificates.
Certificates will not be registered with a valid date, but mobile applications used to verify EU COVID Digital Certificates will be adjusted to verify whether or not 270 days have elapsed since the last vaccination date.
"In order to allow sufficient time for the technical implementation of the period of validity and for the recall vaccination campaigns of the Member States, these new rules should apply from 1 February 2022. ", Notes the European Commission.