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No vaccination certificate for Kiwi despite double-jab in US

Olivia Caldwell

Kiwi software developer Sam Deuchrass has travelled the United States for work three times this year, been fully vaccinated there, and tested negative for Covid-19 more than 70 times.

But back in New Zealand, he won’t receive a vaccination certificate to prove his double-jab status – at least not yet.

Deuchrass received his first vaccination in Georgia in April, and his second in North Carolina in the weeks following. ‘‘I walked into Walmart, and it was that easy. They [United States] are that on top of the entire vaccination process. Say what you want about [their] initial handling [of their Covid-19 response], but the vaccination process is so efficient.’’

Deuchrass was administered the FDA-approved Moderna vaccine, but his vaccine status is irrelevant if he wants the same freedoms given to Pfizer-vaccinated Kiwis under the new traffic light system.

Deuchrass arrived back in New Zealand on September 30. When he inquired about getting his US vaccine certificate converted to a viable certificate in New Zealand, or his vaccination status at least documented, he was told by MIQ health officials to get in touch with the Ministry of Health. The ministry directed him to his local GP, who then directed him back to the ministry.

‘‘I gave the Ministry of Health a ring a month ago, and they said, ‘hey, this is not the procedure, this is not the way to do things, we don’t have a pathway, so we can’t help you’.’’

When he called his local GP in Invercargill, he was told they hadn’t been advised on how to handle vaccinated individuals returning from overseas.

‘‘My doctor said the best they can do is keep a photo of my CDC vaccine certificate (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention), but they can’t actually add it to my national health index. The CDC [certificate] has been distributed to over 150 million people in the United States.’’

In September, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said a system for verifying overseas vaccinations was being worked on as a matter of urgency.

Yesterday, however, the ministry said a process for those vaccinated overseas was not yet available.

News

en-nz

2021-10-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281569473939759

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