Question reference: S5W-35745
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 4 March 2021
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evidence of having received a COVID-19 vaccination will be provided to people for the purpose of providing proof, if requested to do so.
Answer
All vaccinations are held on an individual’s medical records. Upon receiving the first vaccination, patients will also be given a reminder leaflet which will be issued with the date of their follow up appointment to receive their second dose.
A vaccination certificate could play a valuable role but there are various issues to work through, not least the significant equalities issues with allowing freedoms only to those vaccinated. Work, on a 4 nations basis, has started to scope and develop a technical solution to allow secure, authenticated access to Covid vaccination status.
This is to ensure technology is not the limiting factor should the work underway indicate it would be appropriate to introduce certification at the right time.
Due to the nature of this piece of work and the stage that we are at in discussions, it is difficult to determine the number of staff partly or fully involved in discussions. We can however confirm that a small number of staff in Scottish Government teams including; Covid Ready Society, Vaccinations, Community Surveillance, Scottish Government Legal Department, and several teams across Scottish Government that manage issues relating to the digital environment, have provided input in the work already undertaken.
We continue to engage in international developments in relation to COVID-19, including on the issue of vaccine certification. These discussions are led by the World Health Organisation.
We will continue to keep vaccine certification under review as further evidence around vaccines and immunity emerges.