Bahrain launches digital Covid-19 “vaccine passport”

Bahrain has launched a digital Covid-19 “vaccine passport”, becoming one of the first nations in the world to do so.

The country’s BeAware app enables individuals to show their immunity status two weeks after receiving both doses of the jab when antibodies have started developing.

The ‘Covid-19 Vaccinated’ shield is accompanied by an official certificate detailing the users’ name, date of birth, nationality and which vaccine they received.

Authorities can verify the validity of the certificate by scanning a QR code linking to the national vaccine register.

To access the digital certificate, users must have received two doses of the vaccine, with 21 days between each. They then must wait for two weeks after the second dose for antibodies to start developing.

Other countries developing similar programmes include Denmark and Sweden, with both nations planning to launch the service in the coming weeks.

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The launch comes as the IMF released new figures projecting Bahrain’s economy will grow by 3.3% in 2021, driven by its quick policy response to minimise the impact of the pandemic. This has included rapid and widespread access to vaccinations and salary subsidies.

Bahrain opened free vaccine appointments to the entire nation last month, offering all citizens and residents access to the vaccine, with a choice between the Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca or Sputnik V variants.

In November 2020, Bahrain officially approved a Covid-19 vaccine for frontline health workers and then rolled it out to all citizens and residents over the age of 18. The kingdom has also made available a rapid testing service which can diagnose Covid-19 in 15 minutes without the need for a specialist laboratory.