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Australians to Receive Vaccination Certificates in Mass Inoculation Program

Phil Mercer

   SYDNEY - Australians will receive a certificate as proof of receiving a
   coronavirus vaccine when a massinoculationprogram starts later this
   month. Foreigntravelersare also likely to need similar confirmation of
   a COVID-19shotwhen Australia's international borders finally reopen.

   Australia has spent millions of dollars on public health campaigns
   urging the community to have a COVID-19inoculation.There is hesitation
   in some quarters because of the speed with which treatments have been
   developed, but authorities expectthe vast majority ofAustralians to be
   vaccinated.

   The elderly and other priority groups will start to receive the
   Pfizer-BioNTechvaccine later this month, while the AstraZeneca drug is
   expected to be approved by Australian regulators within weeks.

   Recipients willbe givenproof that they have received the treatment.

   Vaccine certificates are expected to allow Australians easier access to
   nursing homes and hospitals, which have strict disease controls because
   of the vulnerability of residents and patients.

   The so-called virus passports could also giveAustralianspermission to
   cross state internal bordersin the event offuture lockdowns.Many were
   closed during the pandemictocurb the spread of the coronavirus, but
   families wereseparatedand businesses disrupted.The documents could
   alsoassistwith international travel.

   The government hopes to offer all Australians a vaccination by the end
   of October.

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