Canada Announces Vaccine Passport for International Travelers

by Janeen Christoff
Last updated: 3:34 PM ET, Fri August 13, 2021

Canada will make it easier for its citizens to travel internationally and show their Covid vaccination status.

The country plans to provide vaccine passports to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and temporary residents living in Canada who are fully vaccinated.

Canadian Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announced the program saying it's "a key step forward in ensuring Canadians will have the documents they need once it is safe to travel again."

The passports will show proof of vaccination and are expected to be ready in the fall in both a digital and paper format.

Canada is following in the footsteps of Europe, which rolled out a vaccine passport system this summer. The country has one of the highest rates of vaccination in the world. According to Reuters, 81 percent of Canadians over age 12 have been inoculated with at least one dose and 68 percent were fully vaccinated as of July 31, 2021.

In the U.S., vaccine passports remain controversial despite many municipalities and businesses beginning to mandate inoculation for work or participation in indoor activities.

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