Author: Louise Pieterse
Last update: December 22nd, 2021.
Since they’ve have become available, there has been speculation about vaccine passport validity periods, and whether or not we’d need a booster shot for our vaccine passports to remain valid in the future.
After more than 9 months of mass inoculation programs, many countries have started administering booster shots to the public, with some even making them mandatory for travel.
What is a COVID-19 booster shot?
Just like regular flu shots or other travel inoculations against yellow fever and the like, COVID vaccinations also need to be retaken periodically.
Several variants have sprung up of which the Delta mutation has become the dominant variant globally.
The Delta variant is almost twice as contagious as the previous strain and has run rampant across Europe, dramatically increasing infection rates.
Most recently, the Omicron variant has become a variant of concern and continuous research is conducted to determine its resistance to the vaccine.
Vaccines have however proven to shorten the time the disease is transmittable and vaccinated individuals are not showing serious symptoms from the virus.
To keep up this vaccine efficiency and protect people against future mutations, “booster shots” are the next phase of the vaccine rollout.
The New England Journal of Medicine published the following findings: “Vaccine effectiveness exceeded 90% from March through June but fell to 65.5% […] in July.”
This indicates weaker immune responses in fully vaccinated patients as time went on and is the main reason why many people are now receiving third doses of the vaccine.
Will my COVID certificate expire without a booster shot?
As the first mass vaccinations started in the first quarter of 2021, many people are now eligible for a booster shot.
Countries like Israel, Croatia, and Austria have indicated that vaccines are only valid for a certain amount of time and a COVID passport would expire if booster shots were not administered.
Israel was one of the first countries to let COVID passes expire and has drawn the line at the 6-month mark. Other countries are accepting vaccines for 9 months and some up to a year.
The EU is also deliberating its newest legislation which hints that the EU Digital COVID Certificate will expire after 270 days.
If only 2 doses have been received, a COVID pass will no longer be valid when enough time has passed and a booster shot will be the only way to reactivate it.
Which countries require COVID-19 booster shots?
Countries are continuously adjusting their vaccination policies as COVID booster shots for travel become more commonplace.
UK booster shots
The UK initially made booster shots available to people over 40 and health care workers as well as immunocompromised people.
Everyone over 18 has now been eligible to receive their booster shots for several months. The gap between doses has been established by British health authorities as 3 months.
From early 2022, a booster shot will become required for the NHS COVID pass to remain valid.
USA booster shots
Booster shots have been approved for people over the age of 18 but Pfizer has submitted a request to make booster shots available for 16 and 17-year-olds too.
Booster shots in the USA are administered if at least 6 months have passed since the previous vaccination was completed.
New Zealand booster shots
New Zealand has made booster shots available for everyone over 18, 6 months after their second dose, but healthcare and border workers will enjoy higher priority for boosters.
The government has also announced that COVID certificates will not yet expire and booster shots will not be mandatory to keep “My Vaccine Pass” active.
Booster shots will however create a new booster certificate to be used on the app.
Germany booster shots
Germany‘s Standing Committee on Vaccination is recommending booster shots for everyone over 18 as the country is recoding its highest numbers to date.
The committee has also suggested that immunocompromised people, those over 70, and residents and workers at care homes be given priority.
The suggested elapsed time is 6 months but if there is capacity this could be shortened by a month.
The committee also suggests that mRNA vaccines be given as the booster, regardless of which vaccines were received previously.
Spain booster shots
Spain has made third doses available for persons over 60 after the previous threshold of 70 was lowered.
Spain has recorded some of the highest vaccination rates in Europe with more than 80% of the population being fully vaccinated.
Canada booster shots
Canada has been rolling out booster shots for the vulnerable since the summer and Ontario is making them available for everyone over 50 from mid-December.
Alberta and Manitoba have already made booster shots available for everyone over 18 as their supply can keep up with the demand. They are available 6-8 months after the last vaccination.
Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore has urged eligible people to book their booster shots from December 13th, and said: “If you are eligible for a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, please book your appointment as soon as you can to provide yourself with an extra layer of protection.”
Romania booster shots
Romania has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe but a massive surge in cases has pressured the government to roll out booster shots in September.
“Health authorities unanimously decided to administer the third booster dose, starting on September 28, for all people more than six months after the second dose, with any of the Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines,” the National Coordinating Committee for Vaccination Activities against COVID-19 issued in a statement.
Netherlands booster shots
The Netherlands has announced that only travelers with a booster jab certificate will be allowed to enter the country from February 2022.
They also shortened the validity of the passports from 12 months to 9 months.
Greece booster shots
Greece was one of the first countries to request that the EU indicate booster shots on the EUDCC and they have started to give booster shots to people 3 months after their last vaccination.
This period is down from the previous 6-month requirement and is in an effort to boost immunity against the Omicron variant.
Italy booster shots
Italy began issuing booster shots to over 40s in November and health care workers, care home employees, and the medically vulnerable are also eligible.
People who have received one shot of Johnson & Johnson are also able to get a booster dose.
They have also shortened the time between shots from 6 months to 5 months.