Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, speaks at Committee's meeting, March 19, 2021. (Photo: VGP / Dinh Nam)

Committee members said preparation for "vaccine passport" acceptance should be based on general policies of countries around the world. Many proposed integrating the status of COVID-19 vaccination of a person who enters Vietnam into his or her mandatory medical declaration.

The Ministry of Health said the “COVID-19 vaccine passport” is essentially a certificate confirming the holder has had two shots of COVID-19 vaccine, regulated by the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and in line with international health quarantine regulations. 

The Ministry said that it will issue a QR code for those in Vietnam who has completed the COVID-19 vaccination and that QR code will be integrated into the personal health management record to certify that this person has been vaccinated when going abroad.  

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam called for technical infrastructure to be ready for “COVID-19 vaccine passport” use. He said, “Vietnam has been working on the people's health record management system, integrating immunization information into the citizen database and creating the most favorable conditions for vaccination and travel control. For overseas Vietnamese planning to return home, technical infrastructure will be completed in April.”

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said his ministry has been working with foreign health agencies to implement the vaccine passports in the future, joining global effort to facilitate trade activities and travel for those who have been vaccinated.