According to the commission, booster vaccinations are recommended no later than six months after the full vaccination.
(Photo: imago images / Rolf Poss)
Brussels Without a booster, EU vaccination certificates will be invalid in the European Union nine months after the basic immunization against the coronavirus. The decision will come into force on February 1, as the EU Commission announced on Tuesday.
Theoretically, the EU countries can still use a veto, but this is as good as impossible. The regulation was agreed with the EU states and will also be mentioned in the latest summit resolution, according to a commission spokesman. The new rules are intended to guarantee uniform travel rules within the EU.
The EU vaccination certificate consists of a QR code that is created directly after the vaccination in practices and vaccination centers or is subsequently available in Germany, for example in pharmacies. The code can be displayed in a smartphone app and can be read out digitally.
The codes are recognized everywhere in the EU despite different apps in the individual countries and make it easier to provide evidence of vaccinations, fresh tests and recently recovered infections with the coronavirus when traveling.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
Member states can theoretically continue to require additional tests for entry. However, you are requested to adhere to the agreements that the freedom of movement should not be restricted “disproportionately”. How long simplified travel in the EU is guaranteed with a booster vaccination has not yet been regulated.
According to the commission, booster vaccinations are recommended no later than six months after the full vaccination. The vaccination certificate should be valid for three more months before it expires, so that you have enough time to get a booster vaccination. In Germany, on Tuesday, the Stiko shortened the recommended period for the booster after the second vaccination from six to three months.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had already announced after the EU summit last week that her authority would promptly submit a regulation with a view to the EU vaccination certificate.
The EU countries and the EU Parliament had agreed on the final details of the Europe-wide certificates before this year’s summer season. According to the Commission, they are now recognized and used in 60 countries and regions outside the EU. In total, more than 800 million certificates have already been issued.
More: We know that about the booster vaccination with Biontech and Moderna