Quezon City uses security seals on vaccination cards

MANILA, Philippines — In a bid to prevent tampering of vaccination cards, the Quezon City government said yesterday it will mark them with security seals after the administration of the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Mayor Joy Belmonte said the rollout of the new measure started yesterday at six vaccination sites that were scheduled to administer second doses to about 4,000 people, and would continue until the national government begins implementing a centralized vaccination certification system.

“The security seal certifies that vaccination cards presented by their bearers as proof of having been fully vaccinated are authentic,” Belmonte said in a statement, adding that the hologram seal will be countersigned by an authorized representative of the city’s vaccine task force.

The development came as local governments and police raised concerns about the possibility of fake vaccine passes, considering that vaccinated people can receive discounts and perks such as its use for interzonal travel instead of swab tests.

Belmonte also suggested the use of valid photo-bearing identification cards to verify whether a person is using a fully vaccinated person’s card to claim incentives.

The city’s public information office said the local government can affix security seals to the cards of around 240,000 fully vaccinated people who have already received their second doses before the rollout of the security seal.

The first batch – those who received their second dose in April – is requested to proceed to the Quezon Memorial Circle’s Century Hall from July 12 to 23.

Individuals who need to have a seal-bearing vaccination card must bring a valid ID. An authorized representative should also bring a valid ID of the bedridden or senior citizen family member.