NHS vaccination app sees 1.3 million register in UK

More than 1.3 million UK residents have registered for the National Health service app since details of vaccination against Covid were added.

The app enables users to show proof they have received the vaccine, should it be required for international travel. However, the EU and the US are preparing their own vaccination certificates, and it is not clear that the reciprocity has been agreed to.

Since May 17 – when the vaccine status function was added – people have logged into the app more than four million times, the NHS said in  a statement.

Since May 10 there have been 1,410,386 downloads of the NHS App and 1,302,611 new registered users.

Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX, which is the health service’s digital innovation unit, said: “This has been stood up in a matter of weeks, by a team working every hour to ensure we delivered a user-friendly service on time.

“We are really pleased with how it’s been received and even more pleased to see it get so many people using the online services of the NHS.”

It is one of the first internationally compliant systems in the world to demonstrate vaccine status and has been designed in line with World Health Organisation interim guidance, according to the health services.

Health secretary Matt Hancock told the press: “The pace [at which] we’ve brought this to fruition is unparalleled and it is bringing immediate benefits to our wider health service. “The strides in technology and innovation we’ve made throughout the pandemic are having real consequences beyond fighting this virus – they’re making treatment, diagnosis and care better for patients. I encourage everyone to download the NHS app, it will help you access a host of services.”

The app now has a total of 4.8 million users. Those who do not have access to the app in England can call 119 and request a letter as proof that they have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine.