COVID-19: EU will request booster doses after nine months to maintain valid certificate

The European Commission has recommended that the countries of the European Union (EU) limit the validity of the COVID digital certificate to nine months, which in practice means requiring a booster dose in order to keep that document.

The Community Executive released this Thursday its new recommendations to facilitate travel within the EU, taking into account the worrying increase in COVID-19 cases in the European territory and the latest measures by some countries to stop the spread of the virus.

The European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, explained that these new provisions that he proposes, which must receive the approval of the Member States, would begin to apply from next January 10.

“It is up to the Member States to organize it as soon as possible so that all citizens can receive, if they wish, a booster dose after six months (from the last puncture). You have to leave a small margin for maneuver, those three months will allow the States to organizeReynders said.

COVID digital certificate

The EU COVID digital certificate makes it easier for people who have recovered from the disease to travel through the community club, have had a test to confirm that they have not been infected or have received the full vaccination schedule, which It is supposed to have received two doses in the case of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and a puncture if it is AstraZeneca or Janssen.

Reynders valued the usefulness of the COVID digital certificate and indicated that the European Commission proposes to extend it beyond next summer as a measure to “facilitate free movement safely ”.

Since last summer, EU countries have issued more than 650 million certificates, the commissioner said.

The new recommendation aims to prevent countries from adopting divergent validity periods and to help Member States to adjust their vaccination campaigns, so that citizens have timely access to the booster dose.

Brussels considers that 65% of the total population of the EU vaccinated “is not sufficient“And why”everyone can travel and live as safely as possible, we must achieve significantly higher vaccination rates, urgently” and “boost our immunity with booster shots”, Said the European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides.

Restrictions

This Thursday the European Commission proposed to the Member States “shift focus”And apply restrictions -such as tests or quarantines- only to travelers who do not have a digital COVID certificate, regardless of their place of origin.

The proposal invites Member States to “focus on a personal approach“, So that people who have a certificate”they should not in principle be subjected to additional restrictions, such as COVID testing or quarantine“, And those who do not have it,”They should be allowed to travel, but may be required to take a test before or after the trip”Added the commissioner.