Bahrain launches digital COVID-19 vaccine passport

Bahrain launches digital COVID-19 vaccine passport
February 17, 2021, 10:46 am

A Bahraini man gets a dose of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine in Manama. (Reuters)

Bahrain has launched a digital COVID-19 vaccine passport for citizens and residents who have received the dose – one of the first countries in the world to do so.

The BeAware app enables individual to show their immunity status two weeks after receiving both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, when antibodies against the disease have started developing, the Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.

Once a person has received both their doses, the app will display a “COVID-19 Vaccinated” shield accompanied by an official certificate that details their name, date of birth, nationality, and when each dose was received, BNA said.

A Bahraini man waits to get a dose of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, at Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre (BIECC), in Manama. (Reuters)

“The move comes as the International Monetary Fund released new figures projecting Bahrain’s economy will grow by 3.3 percent in 2021, driven by its quick policy response to minimize the impact of the pandemic. This has included rapid and widespread access to vaccinations and salary subsidies,” the government said in a statement.

Authorities will also be able to verify the validity of the certificate by scanning the QR code on the app that is linked to a national vaccine register.

A woman displays her COVID-19 vaccine certificate in front of the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center in the capital Manama, on December 24, 2020. (AFP)

Citizens and residents will only be vaccine certified if they received two doses of a vaccine with a 21-day period between each.

Bahrain has authorized the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine, the American Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, the British AstraZeneca-Oxford, and the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.