Some people liken the discussion of a COVID-19 vaccination card to the “Yellow Card” which is used in some countries to allow for global travel. Is a vaccination card for COVID-19 realistic? Is the precedence and outcome for a COVID-19 vaccination card the same as that for the Yellow Card?
Why they are not the same —
The Yellow Card is a “Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis” against Yellow Fever (in accordance with the WHO).
A COVID-19 Card (proposed) has many differences – scientifically not fully studied, available data is incomplete, mobile populations and migrants data is difficult to measure, and many other differences.
Some comparisons —
Yellow Fever is a vector-borne disease – meaning, it is spread when mosquitoes transmit the virus between humans.
Covid-19 is a communicable disease – meaning, it is directly passed from person to person.
Yellow Fever vs COVID-19 —
Yellow Fever 🟡 “Once vaccinated with a single dose of the yellow fever vaccine, an individual is forever protected from infection and from transmitting yellow fever.”
Covid-19 🌱 has no single source of truth –
based on the pharmaceutical company/ manufacture, a COVID-19 vaccine could be a single dose or multiple doses (boosters proposed).
Yellow Fever 🟡 “The yellow fever vaccine has been in use since the 1930’s, making lifelong clinical assessment possible.”
Covid-19 🌱 vaccine (rapidly developed, manufactured and distributed), does not have the data to support definitively “life-time” immunity.
Yellow Fever 🟡 “Under the WHO’s International Health Regulations, the yellow fever vaccination certificate is now valid for a traveler’s lifetime.”
Covid-19 🌱 Respect is given to the scientific and healthcare communities who have been working, and continue to “work tirelessly”, to care for people and establish control over the COVID-19 virus. However, based on the COVID-19 manufacture, data and human populations, nothing is yet definitive.
→ The effectiveness of the vaccine varies
→ The length of individual immunity varies
→ Individual responsiveness varies
Yellow Fever 🟡 vaccine is administered by a Certified Vaccine Center; approved by the CDC/WHO.
Covid-19 🌱 vaccine is still under emergency use listing at the WHO – further hampering the certification process as well as, disbursement. Administration is governed on many levels with the requirements for licensure and skills determined locally, regionally and by country.
Take-Aways —
A COVID-19 vaccination card does not, yet, meet the criteria – scientifically or humanly.
While the intent for a COVID-19 vaccination card is valid,
1) the objectives, as well as,
2) the collected and validated data, and
3) the humanistic need for specific populations, is inconsistent and not realistic.
Uncertainties of the vaccine plus, equitable/inequitable (rich countries verses poor countries) are major factors preventing a COVID-19 vaccine card, at this time.
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