Bahrain first Gulf nation to adopt Covid-19 vaccine passport

Move follows similar technology in Denmark and Sweden although results not yet authorised for international travel

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  A billboard urges the public to sign up for the voluntary vaccine outside Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Manama. The tiny island nation has put technology at the heart of its response, using WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and chatbots to deliver test results and information. Mazen Mahdi / AFP

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  Saudis are greeted by a health worker as they enter a new coronavirus vaccination centre at the Jeddah old airport, Saudi Arabia. AP Photo

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  The Seha Vaccination Centre at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal can immunise up to 3,000 people per day. Victor Besa / The National

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  A woman attends her appointment for a second dose of a coronavirus vaccine at Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre (BIECC), in Manama, Bahrain December 24, 2020. Reuters

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  Bahrain's Mobile Vaccination Unit. Courtesy: Bahrain News Agency

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  A man is inoculated at Seha Vaccination Centre in the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal area. Victor Besa / The National

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  A man receives his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the Omani capital, Muscat. AFP

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  Health workers greet people after they receive their vaccine at a new coronavirus vaccination centre, at the Jeddah old airport in Saudi Arabia. Amr Nabil / AP

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  A nurse administers a dose of vaccine against the covid-19 diseases at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre in the capital of Saudi Arabia. Fayez Nureldine / AFP

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  Kuwaitis arrive to get the Covid-19 vaccine at Al Masayel new vaccination centre in Kuwait City. Yasser Al Zayyat / AFP

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  Medical staff stand ready at the Kuwait vaccination centre for Covid -19 at the International Fairgrounds in Kuwait City. Sports stadiums, cathedrals and theme parks the world over have been rapidly repurposed as temporary vaccination centres in a global drive to administer the life-saving shots. AFP

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  A woman pushes another in a wheelchair as they queue to register before receiving a dose of Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine at the make-shift vaccination centre erected at the Kuwait International Fairground, in the Mishref suburb south of Kuwait City. Yasser Al Zayyat / AFP

A digital vaccine passport that acts as proof of immunisation against Covid-19 for its carrier was launched in Bahrain on Wednesday, making the island nation the first Gulf country to adopt the policy.

The country's BeAware app will update a user's immunity status two weeks after receiving both doses of the vaccine, allowing for the time it takes for antibodies to develop and offer protection against coronavirus.

Residents have a choice of four vaccines in the country, all without charge: Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Sputnik V.

Once fully inoculated, the app will present a green "Covid-19 vaccinated" shield with an official certificate detailing the user's name, date of birth, nationality and which vaccine they received.

A QR code linked to Bahrain’s national vaccine register allows authorities to check the status of an app user.

Similar programmes under development in Sweden and Denmark are scheduled to launch shortly.

The passport would have to be accepted and recognised worldwide before it can be used as a travel stamp allowing crossing into other nations without the need to quarantine, but Bahrain's programme could open up safe travel around the GCC.

The nation is just 40 minutes from Saudi Arabia, and relies heavily on close links with the kingdom for trade and tourism via the King Fahd Causeway.

The idea of vaccine passports was mooted across Europe, not just to aid a reopening of travel but to allow the hospitality sector to recover by welcoming back customers.

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Inside Bahrain International Airport's new art-infused passenger terminal

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  The view from inside Bahrain International Airport's new passenger terminal. All images courtesy Sara Loch unless otherwise mentioned.

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  The old control tower is the anchor around which the new passenger terminal has been built.

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  Travellers can play Playstation as they wait for flights at Bahrain's new airport terminal building.

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  The entrance to Souq Al Qaisariya where travellers can shop for traditional Bahraini gifts and goods.

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  Home-grown Bahraini eatery Lumee is one of several restaurants in the new passenger terminal.

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  Local fashion, accessories and gifts on sale in the new terminal building.

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  Gulf Air's new Falcon Gold lounge at Bahrain International Airport. Courtesy Bahrain News Agency

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Although some international travel is likely to require proof of inoculation against Covid-19, European governments are split on a bloc-wide endorsement of vaccination passports.

The UK government is also divided on the use of inoculation certificates to allow international travel.  Some ministers say they are discriminatory.

Proof of vaccine in a digital wallet could provide an incentive for some to get vaccinated and offer new work opportunities.

Critics, however, say there is a lack of evidence that vaccines effectively prohibit transmission, too little is known about emerging new variants and passports could be vulnerable to fraud.