The COVID certificate is a document that we recommend to have in hand as soon as possible, since it will be increasingly necessary in certain establishments or when we go on a trip. At Genbeta we have already been able to explain to you which are the easiest ways to obtain it. In addition, if we fly through Europe, we will also need to fill out the FCS form as an additional measure, although this depends on the country we are visiting.
The European Union has made changes to this certificate. And it is that through its official website it has confirmed the validity period of this document, which is established in nine months. If we have not been vaccinated 270 days before the last dose, the certificate will expire.
This additional security measure has been established for travel to countries within the European Union. The standard was approved by the European Council on December 16, and will take effect from February 1, 2022.
The certificate expires nine months after our last dose
As mentioned from the European Union website, A total of 807 million COVID certificates have already been issued so far, and 60 countries around the world have already adopted such measures.
This nine-month period takes into account the health recommendation of the vaccination cycle of up to six months after the previous dose. Thus, the certificate will remain valid for a grace period of another three months after the last dose.
The fact of now having a validity in the COVID certificate locates in a more efficient way those people who do not have the complete regimen, or the booster doses. From the European Union they assure that This measure will only apply to travel in the European Union, although they encourage nations to adapt their regulations to this new measure to ‘provide the safety of travelers and reduce interruptions’.
Changes in the coding of COVID certificates
In addition to this new measure, the European Commission has adapted the rules for coding vaccination certificates. In this way, the booster doses will appear in the document as ‘3/3’ for those who have been vaccinated for the third time after the full two-dose regimen, and ‘2/1’ to classify those citizens who have been administered a booster dose after a single dose vaccination or one of the two doses administered to a recovered person.
Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, comments the following regarding the new measures:
“A harmonized validity period for the EU digital COVID certificate is a necessity for safe free movement and coordination at EU level. The strength and success of this valuable tool for citizens and businesses lies in its use coherent across the EU. What is needed now is to ensure that booster campaigns are developed as quickly as possible, that as many citizens are protected with an extra dose, and that our certificates remain a key tool for travel and the protection of public health “.
A few days ago we presented you with a measure to confirm that our COVID certificate was valid. The European Union states that these applications used to verify the document must be modified. And is that if the last vaccination date is greater than 270 days, the application will indicate that the certificate has expired.