The European Union has recommended a 9-month time limit for the validity of Covid-19 vaccinations for travel into and within the bloc, as well as prioritising vaccinated travellers, as the country faces a resurgence of cases, according to reports.
According to a document obtained by Bloomberg, the European Commission is proposing that member states continue to welcome all travellers immunised with vaccines approved by the bloc. It also urged countries to reopen their borders to all those who had used World Health Organization-approved vaccines as of January 10.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate and the EU Vaccine Passport are digital proofs of a person’s vaccination status in the European Union. The vaccine passport indicates whether a person has recently tested negative for COVID-19 and whether they have recently recovered from COVID-19. The vaccine passport makes it easier for people to travel through EU member states.
People who are currently in the EU and have permission to visit other EU countries, in addition to EU residents, can obtain an EU vaccine passport. National health authorities issue free vaccine passports in digital and paper formats, each with a QR code that can be stored on mobile devices.
On Thursday, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders announced a new internal EU travel framework based on individuals’ vaccination or recovery status rather than caseloads in the countries from which they are travelling. A separate announcement regarding the external travel rules is expected later Thursday, the report said.
The proposed updates include a new time limit for the validity of Covid inoculations, indicating that boosters will be required after the initial 9-month period. However, the EU stated that it was not yet prepared to propose a validity period for certificates issued based on booster shots.
According to Reynders, the commission is also considering extending its rules on the EU digital certificate beyond next summer.
After governments used contrasting approaches to how long vaccinations should last and how to manage booster shots, EU nations are pushing for the bloc to smooth out differences in rules to help safeguard the ability to travel. The commission makes recommendations that member countries could put into action.
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