Members of the Senate have agreed not to use the contentious term "passport" to call the vaccination certificate that will be issued to individuals who have been inoculated against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Before their approval of the proposed "COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act" (Senate Bill No. 2057) on final reading Tuesday, senators amended the bill to rename the proposed "vaccine passport" to "vaccine card."
The vaccine cards shall contain information about the individual inoculated; the brand of the vaccine administered and its manufacturer; the date of vaccination; date of RT-PCR testing; and the facility where the vaccine was received as well as the health professionals who administered the vaccine.
Earlier, Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III warned that using "passport" could result in the discrimination of people who will refuse or have yet to get vaccinated as it implied mobility. He raised the concern that the vaccination might end up becoming a requirement for non-essential, international travel and even entry into business establishments.
The Senate-approved bill no longer contained sections stating that those given vaccine cards may be granted certain benefits or exemptions for travel, checkpoints and access to business establishments.
The vaccine cards was intended to be digital, but shall remain accessible through other means such as printed cards. It may be issued by the Department of Health (DOH), the local government units (LGUs) or the private entities provided that the DOH will maintain a central database of all vaccinations.
The bill also mandates a uniform format for the vaccine card, which shall be updated in accordance to globally-accepted standards.
Further, LGUs shall recognize and accept vaccine cards validly issued by other LGUs.
Senate Bill No. 2057 seeks to expedite the country's procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. It also sets aside an indemnity fund which was required by some pharmaceutical companies before their delivery of the vaccines to the country.
President Duterte has certified the measure as urgent.