The government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care has introduced a new vaccination card with new security features.

This has been done to deal with the issue of counterfeits and ensure that vaccination information is accessible anywhere in the world.

The government recently announced that it would start issuing Covid-19 certificates to people who have received their second dose to verify who has been vaccinated.

The government said certificate would come in the form of an electronic card with security features and a quick-response (QR) bar code that can be scanned for verification, and linked to the person’s passport and national ID.

Director of health informatics and data analytics in the ministry of health and child care Simukai Zizhou recently told Business Day the electronic card will combat the sale of counterfeit certificates already circulating in the country.

“We have finalised the electronic cards. We previously issued them to a small group of people and are now certain the electronic cards work. The cards have security features that can be scanned and verified.

“The electronic card will contain data related to the vaccination, including the date administered‚ type of vaccine and place of vaccination.

“The electronic cards will also be used when people travel in and out of the country and will help to combat the sale of counterfeit certificates. People who have taken their second dose can approach the ministry of health and child care to be issued with the cards. The electronic cards are locally developed and we will start issuing them this week‚” said Zizhou then.

Since the vaccination process began, Zimbabwe witnessed some cases where people used fake cards and COVID-19 certificates, hence the move by the ministry to introduce new, secure cards.

The country is in the second phase of the national vaccine programme that includes people above 60 years of age‚ those with underlying conditions‚ teachers‚ hospitality industry staff and other front-line workers who have not been vaccinated.

Zimbabwe’s ministry of health and child care plans to vaccinate 10-million people‚ or about two-thirds of the population.

Meanwhile, as at 30 March 2021, Zimbabwe had recorded 36 858 cases 34636 recoveries and 1521 deaths.

Apparently, to date, a total of 72 944 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

-Znews