Coronavirus: Apparent shift over how long vaccination is valid

A person’s vaccination certificate is only valid for one year from the date of the first dose having been administered, according to the latest Q&A info sheet shared on Monday by the deputy ministry of research.

The latest information appears to contradict previous comments by Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas who on September 3 stated that any further doses would be “voluntary” and would not have any implications as to the validity of a person’s SafePass.

The new document, answering questions on the CovScan (which assesses the validity of a person’s SafePass), states that a person’s vaccination certificate is valid for one year from the date of the first dose, in answering question 18: “What is the validity period of the certificate?”, in the English language version of the document.

In the Greek language version of the document, it is answered under question seven.

The document bears the logo of the health ministry and was shared by the deputy ministry of research through its Twitter account.

 

It further stated that: “The validity period of the certificate depends on the scientific data and is determined by the competent authorities according to the national policies of each country.”

The policy – of vaccination being valid for a year unless further shots are taken – appears to be new. There was no immediate clarification as to the absence of a formal announcement of such a major policy shift.

The Cyprus Mail contacted the health ministry for comment, to which they replied: “The existing instruction is European and is in accordance with the scientific data for two doses of the vaccine.

“However, a change is expected in the directive at the end of the year that will be registered and the third instalment in the European certificate.

“However, it does not affect anything.”