Dominican Republic health authorities analyze issuing vaccination passport

Given the requirement of some countries, such as the United States, for the Dominican Republic to have a vaccination passport, health authorities are evaluating the possibility of digitizing inoculation records and issuing a code that confirms that travelers are vaccinated, said Health Minister Daniel Rivera.

The minister indicated that the issue had been discussed for some time with the relevant authorities.

“The part of the Cabinet (of Health) has already raised it several times. There are different countries that have different types of codes and it is being evaluated,” he added.

A vaccine passport is a proof that a person has been immunized against Covid-19. It could be in the form of a smartphone app or a certificate written with a Q code. The minister explained that they are also evaluating this issue with the Migration Council, with which they will have a meeting this week.

On the other hand, Rivera stressed that in the United States, they accept those vaccinated with Sinovac, which has cleared a concern that many Dominicans had because this is the vaccine administered the most in the country, according to Diario Libre.

“This is important because most people here were in tension about whether they had to put on Pfizer,” he noted.

Regarding whether a vaccination passport will be required of people entering the country, the minister indicated that ships and planes require protocols such as the presentation of a negative PCR test or vaccination card.

“The cruise ships are demanding his vaccination, they do his test, he has to have PCR, they have their protocol, because it is the same as the CDC in Atlanta,” he said.