More German states could be on course to phase out the traditional yellow vaccine booklet in 2022.
German doctors typically write in and sign them whenever one of their patients receives a vaccine for any disease, not just COVID-19.
However, the country’s unprecedented campaign to vaccinate its population against Covid has brought up fresh concerns that the booklets are easy to forge—with hundreds of fakes recently discovered in Bremen.
Both Baden-Württemberg and Berlin have stopped accepting them as proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter venues, instead requiring digital QR codes. As 2022 began, Saarland followed suit—with the possibility of more federal states gradually phasing them out.
What are the alternatives to the yellow vaccine booklet?
When someone gets vaccinated for COVID-19 in Germany, they receive a QR code they can enter into a variety of apps, storing important information about what type of vaccine they got and when.
The QR code can then get scanned when they enter venues like gyms, restaurants, or theatres—or when travelling within the EU.
Commonly used apps include the country’s Corona-Warn-App and CovPass, but some pharmacies are now offering an alternative card to people who either don’t have a smartphone, or simply want a physical document proving their vaccination.
The Immunkarte, developed by a Leipzig start-up, is available either online or at about 7,500 partner pharmacies across Germany for slightly less than €10.
READ ALSO: How the rules of the EU Covid certificate for travel will change from February
For non-Covid vaccines, many German health insurers have begun offering electronic patient records that doctors can now log their vaccines into. The ePA can be accessed through health insurance apps and most recently, through desktop computer applications.
Rachel Loxton
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