Biometric vaccination cards now available for Cameroonian travellers

The biometric vaccination cards cost XAF 10,000 (US$15) and can be obtained not only from the Yaounde international vaccination center but also from approved centers in other cities such as Bafoussam, Douala, Ngaoundere, Garoua, and Maroua.

With the new card, which has been validated by our health experts, we have the possibility after vaccination, to impute all information concerning the vaccinated person, to the card digitally.

“This card is an innovation of the Ministry of Public Health which intends to properly secure vaccination information. After that, you have to wait for just about 10-15 minutes, and you are issued a new secure biometric vaccination card With a QR Code scan, you can get all the information you need about the card holder’s vaccination status,” says Ntsobe.

Dr. Ntsobe said the Health Ministry already took measures before the rollout to ensure the new biometric vaccination and health pass are recognized and accepted internationally.

Once you get vaccinated in any international vaccination center and you want to obtain the card, your facial image and other personal information are collected.

Bolo Yanne Emmanuel, says biometric vaccination and health cards for Cameroonian travelers have been introduced to facilitate the process of checking their vaccine status when they are getting into or out of the country.

We are calling on Cameroonians who want to keep their vaccination information secure to obtain this card. Dubbed ‘Pass Vac Santé’, the card with five-year validity, comes to complement the analog ones which must first be presented at the time of obtaining the biometric version, the official says. Wherever they find themselves when they travel, with just a scan of the card, all their vaccination information can be verified on the spot.

Ntsobe mentioned that technology for the production of the biometric card is provided by a Cameroonian enterprise, whose identity he chose not to disclose. With just a QR Code scan, airport authorities were able to verify his vaccination status and were impressed by the functionality of the card. He adds that efforts are also in progress to make the card available in vaccination centers in other parts of the country such as the North West and South West Regions.

Apart from COVID, biometric cards are available for other vaccine types often required for international travels from Cameroon such as vaccines for yellow fever, cholera, typhoid, and meningitis. We are in the early phase of implementation and many of the people who have obtained the biometric card, have given us positive feedback.