Fake vaccination certificates
The NCOC and NADRA have jointly developed an app to help people and officials identify fake coronavirus vaccination certificates. The app, named Pak Covid-19 Vaccination Pass App, will instantly confirm whether an inoculation certificate is genuine or fake. This will largely facilitate all, especially those travelling by air. The government has announced that partial vaccination will not be allowed for air travel after September 10. It will help people to readily access their vaccination certificates issued by NADRA as the document can be saved on mobile phones. Since the digital certificate can be stored on phones, it will not cause any problems if the certificate is lost. If the certificate is on paper, the chances of loss cannot be entirely eliminated.
The app can be downloaded using QR Code. The mobile app has been developed after sales of bogus vaccination certificates were reported, which caused alarm among the inoculated population. Those vaccinated feared that despite having taken the jab, they were vulnerable to contracting the dreaded disease from the unvaccinated. Reports circulating about people acquiring counterfeit vaccination certificates added to these fears. Skeptics who have obtained fake inoculation paper are exposing both the vaccinated and themselves to serious dangers. The app will help, to a considerable extent, distinguish genuine certificates from fake ones.
The government has also announced that the unvaccinated will not be permitted to travel by train from October 1. Universities too will not allow unvaccinated students and teachers on their premises after the deadlines fixed for getting the vaccine. All these measures being taken by the authorities are meant to protect people from Covid-19. We all should play our role in protecting humanity from the pandemic remembering: One for all, all for one.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 18th, 2021.
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