COVID-19 “vaccine passport” holders must still undergo 14-day quarantine: Expert

Travellers line up for procedures at an airport before entering Vietnam.

(Photo: VNA)

Associate Professor Tran Dac Phu, senior advisor at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre at the Ministry of Health (MoH), affirmed that Vietnam is yet to adjust its COVID-19 preventive measures and quarantine requirements for “vaccine passport” holders, which is a new concept describing people who have received two full doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

He added that vaccines are deemed the most effective measure to fight infectious diseases, explaining that countries permitted vaccinated people to travel during cholera and yellow fever epidemics and even the plague. Attention, however, must be paid to any potential risks.

Vaccine research generally requires five years or more. As COVID-19 vaccines have received emergency approval, a number of matters have remained unclear and some vaccines may be less effective against emerging variants, Phu noted.

There are also risks from counterfeit “vaccine passports”. All countries should therefore assess the risks and benefits and adopt suitable measures.

Vietnam has implemented efficient preventive measures to keep the pandemic under control, he added. Although vaccinations are underway, preventive measures are still needed, especially the “5K message”: khau trang (facemasks), khu khuan (disinfecting), khoang cach (distancing), khong tu tap (no gatherings), and khai bao y te (health declarations).

Earlier, addressing the launch of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in Vietnam, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said its system for vaccination and later a “vaccine passport” will be linked with international systems and managed by QR code.

Those immunised will receive a certificate and have their details updated on electronic health records, he said.

The MoH will keep a close watch on data in the personal health record system for those vaccinated. More than 97 million records have already been prepared.

Source: VNA