Vaccine certificate: Here’s how to get yours

The National Department of Health quietly rolled out its Covid-19 vaccine certificate system on Tuesday, just days after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced it would be available soon.

If you are fully vaccinated, you are eligible to receive a digital vaccine certificate containing a QR code.

The code can be either downloaded or printed.

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Vaccine certificate

Why is it needed?

Back in September, Ramaphosa said South Africa’s approach to the vaccine certificate is “informed by the World Health Organisation and in line with international best practice.”

He said a vaccine certificate or passport will streamline and standardise proof of vaccination and will go a long way towards getting a number of international travel restrictions eased.

Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla also previously said government was discussing compulsory Covid-19 vaccination for adults across the country.

Vaccine passports have already been introduced in other parts of the world. The European Union’s Digital Covid Certificate (EUDCC) is available to all 27 members of the EU.

Meanwhile, the United States utilises digital health records stored on smartphones, while China implemented its International Travel Health Certificate, and the UK has its own NHS Covid Pass.

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How to get your vaccine certificate

The department said the QR code is not meant for general public use, but will instead be used by specific entities using a specialised QR scanner.

People who are fully vaccinated may request their vaccine certificates on the department of health’s website, by following this link.

Select ‘GET MY VACCINE CERTIFICATE’, and select your identify type from the drop-down menu: either RSA Identity Number, Passport Number, or Asylum Seeker/Refugee Number.

Then enter your proof of vaccination code. This would have been SMS’d to you after you received your vaccine. You will also need to submit your full name.

Finally, you will need to enter your contact number to receive a One-Time Pin (OTP), after which you can download the vaccine certificate in PDF format.

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