Vaccination certificate may be launched by end-month, EU VP indicates

European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas on Tuesday stressed the benefits of vaccination certificates amid the coronavirus pandemic, saying they are of "utmost importance," and indicated that such an initiative may be approved by the end of January.

His comments came ahead of a meeting of EU leaders on Thursday, in which a proposal made last week by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for a European certificate showing when an individual has been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.

"We need vaccinations certificates that would allow for a clear record of each individual's vaccination history to ensure the right medical follow-up. A common EU approach to trusted, reliable and verifiable certificates would allow people to use their records in other EU member-states," Schinas said.

"It would also open the door to other uses and help lift...