Published 26 August 2021
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
GOVERNMENT OF ST. KITTS AND NEVIS ROLLS OUT DIGITAL COVID-19 VACCINATION CARDS
Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 26, 2021 (SKNIS): Citizens and residents in St. Kitts and Nevis who are vaccinated against COVID-19 can now access their vaccination cards digitally.
This was announced by the Minister of Health and Information and Communication Technology et al., the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett, during the Prime Minister’s Monthly Press Conference on August 24 at the NEMA Conference Room. She explained the process by which the cards are accessed.
“Persons can present themselves with a photo I.D., but if you already have your vaccination card, take that card as well to the Innovation Hub located at the National ICT Centre. There, your I.D. and your vaccination card will be cross-checked with our database. Once the information is correct, you will then be provided with the URL and a unique I.D. number. Once you log into the URL you will then provide your first and last name, date of birth and the unique I.D. that you would be provided with. Once all of those four categories match, you will then be able to retrieve your digital card,” said Minister Byron-Nisbett.
Minister Byron-Nisbett said that the digital cards contain a quick response (QR) code or barcode that allows users to access information instantly. The QR code also serves as an additional security feature.
“Your digital card looks similar to the actual physical card, the difference is that it includes a QR code that can be scanned just to verify that indeed you are vaccinated,” she said.
She said that the unique QR code prevents fraud with persons who are not vaccinated but who may try to replicate the cards.
“That would give us that added security that unless that QR code matches back to our record then you can’t be able to pose as if you are vaccinated,” Minister Byron-Nisbett said.
Minister Byron-Nisbett said that each country develops its way of recording vaccination status and St. Kitts and Nevis is no different. She noted that once a country determines how their vaccination information will be provided, it is then shared with the relevant bodies.
“Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that information is then communicated to the other countries around the world so that they are aware that this is the official means by which you would be able to note someone’s vaccination status from the various countries. The same thing is being done here in St. Kitts and Nevis,” she said. “So, the information will simply be passed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who then disseminates it to the various countries indicating our vaccination record status card, be it digital or otherwise.”
