✴️Q&A: Digital #COVID19 vaccine certificates / passports
❓Why has Department of Health made the digital vaccine card website live if it isn’t fully ready for use?
➡️They have to test the functionality of the site in a live environment – which means running tests while the site is live.
❓Is the #COVID19 digital vaccination card site fully functional yet?
➡️No, tests are still being run.
❗The site will be fully functional on Friday (8 October) morning, when SA’s digital vaccination cards will be officially launched.
❓ If you’ve managed to download a #COVID19 digital vaccination card on Tuesday/Wednesday, is the card valid?
➡️Yes, but not indefinitely.
❗It will eventually be replaced with an updated version with more security measures
✴️ (ALL cards will be replaced, not just the ones downloaded before FRIDAY).
❓Why is there a note on the cards saying they’re only valid until January 2022?
➡️Because the cards will be replaced with updated versions (before the end of the year) so that they remain up-to-date with international standards.
✴️You’ll have to download a new version at a later stage.
❓Why will there be new versions of the digital #COVID19 vaccination cards?
➡️Because security measures, such as QR codes and digital (cryptographic) signatures, will be gradually phased in. ⭐Each new version will be more secure than the previous version.
❓When will the new versions of the digital #COVID19 vaccination cards become available?
➡️✴️ Second version (a digital vaccine certificate): Likely end of October
➡️⭐Third version (a digital vaccine passport): Likely end of November
(Dates are provisional if all goes according to plan)
❗The digital vaccine website asks for an ID or passport number. ❓Are foreign passport numbers, asylum seeking numbers and refugee numberrs accepted?
➡️✴️YES, as long as it’s the same ID you used when you registered on the #EVDS, because the info on the card is linked to the info on the EVDS.
❓What is the vaccination code the site asks you to enter?
➡️It’s the sms with a code that you received after your vaccination(s).
You only need to enter one of the codes (if you got two shots)
❗Take note: It’s NOT the batch number(s) on your printed vaccination card.
❓What should you do if you lost the vaccination codes you were sent via sms?
➡️You can phone the #COVID19 helpline, they will be able to retrieve the codes from the #EVDS and give it to you over the phone.
📞☎️0800029999
❗❓If you never received #COVID19 vaccination codes via sms, why did that happen?
➡️ Two things could have happened:
⭐1. The sms didn’t reach you because of cell phone network/#EVDS issues.
⭐2. Your info was never entered into the EVDS.
❓ How do you find out why you didn’t receive an sms with a vaccination code?
📞1. Phone the #COVID19 helpline and ask them to check if your info is in the EVDS
❗2. If it’s not, go to the site where you got vaccinated with your paper card and ask them to enter your info.
❓What happens if you got 2 #Pfizer jabs, but one of the codes on your digital card is different from the one you received via sms?
➡️It doesn’t matter, as long as one of the codes on the card is the same as the sms codes – that way, your info will be linked to the EVDS
❓Can you use the digital #COVID19 vaccine cards that will be launched on Friday for international travel?
✈️Yes, most countries should accept these, but it depends on the policy of the country.
You need to present the card along with your passport.
❓Do our digital vaccine cards adhere to international standards?
➡️There is no official international standard (not yet). But there are WHO guidelines, which SA is following.
❓ What do the WHO’s guidelines say?
➡️The gist:
🔺The card needs to contain certain vaccine details (type of jab, date of jab, batch nr of the jab, your ID nr, name, etc).
🔺It must be possible to verify the validity