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Covid-19: Brussels sets the duration of the vaccination certificate at nine months for lack of reminder

2021-12-21T15:43:19.054Z


The European Commission set Tuesday, December 21 at nine months, after a first complete vaccination, the period of validity of the certificate ...


The European Commission set Tuesday, December 21 at nine months, after a first complete vaccination, the period of validity of the vaccine certificate against Covid-19 for travel in the Union, in order to encourage recalls.

Read alsoA vaccine booster, with Pfizer or Moderna, as soon as possible

This measure, which will be binding on the Twenty-Seven, will enter into force on February 1, unless a qualified majority of Member States or a majority of MEPs object. The Commission, which has carried out prior consultations, is confident in its approval. The validity period of vaccine certificates, set at 270 days, "

will give citizens and businesses the certainty they need to plan their trips with confidence,

" said European Commissioner Didier Reynders, quoted in a press release.

"

It is now up to Member States to ensure that recalls are carried out promptly in order to protect our health and ensure safe travel,

" he added. Member States will be required to accept travelers with a vaccination certificate not older than nine months after a first full vaccination. While the EU regulates the use of this certificate within the framework of intra-European travel, its use by the Member States for other purposes (access to restaurants, concert halls, cinema, etc.) remains the responsibility of legislation. national.

But Member States are "

encouraged to align

" with the period set at European level, says the Commission.

In France, the deadline for making a reminder is seven months, otherwise the pass is deactivated.

The time lag with the duration set for trips at European level means that a traveler from another EU country would have the right to enter France with an eight-month-old vaccination certificate but would not then be able to access restaurants or concert halls.

807 million certificates issued in the EU

"

Some states, including France, wanted to go for a more limited period, others wanted a longer period

" to have time to administer a booster dose, Didier Reynders told AFP. The nine-month period adopted by the European executive takes into account the guidelines of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) regarding the administration of booster doses after a period of six months, due to the decrease in vaccine efficacy. It provides for a three-month grace period to allow states to adapt and guarantee citizens' access to the recall.

However, the duration of validity of the vaccination after a booster dose has not been determined at this stage, for lack of sufficient scientific data.

The European Union put in place last summer a common Covid certificate - attesting to a vaccination, a Covid-19 infection of less than six months, or a negative test -, to allow Europeans to travel between Member States as freely as possible, without being subjected to additional tests or quarantines.

Read also Health pass in business: the opposition sees a compulsory vaccination in disguise

To date, 807 million of these certificates have been issued in the EU. And the system is recognized by 33 states or territories around the world, in addition to the 27 in the EU. The emergence of the Omicron variant has, however, led seven Member States (Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus, Latvia, Italy, Greece, Austria) to introduce new emergency restrictions, and to demand that European travelers, even vaccinated, be presented with a negative test to enter their territory. These measures must be subject to notice, be limited in time and proportionate, insists the Commission. "

We understand that some Member States are taking action, but (...) we are not really convinced that for travel it is very useful, we still think that the certificate is theelement that should suffice

», Declared Didier Reynders.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-12-21

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