CovPass alternative: what can the immune card do?

In everyday 2G and 3G everyday life, the classic vaccination card in conjunction with an identity card also serves as proof of vaccination protection against the coronavirus. However, the yellow booklet not only keeps track of the corona, but all important vaccinations. So you don’t want to lose the document so much. There are enough alternatives. CovPass, the Corona warning and Luca apps bring the vaccination card to the smartphone. The solution is cumbersome in winter. Take off your gloves, find your cell phone, possibly put on your glasses, unlock your phone, open the app, show it. During a Christmas stroll through the city center, if in doubt, you can dance the choreography several times. It should be easier with the immune card.

The plastic card from the start-up immunkarte.de has been available since May 2021 and can be conveniently attached to a bunch of keys. Users can either order them online or buy them in participating pharmacies. The company shows on its website which pharmacy offers the immune card in your area. The digital vaccination certificate is of course important for the exhibition. This is the same QR code that you scan with the CovPass or Corona Warning app to digitize it. After vaccination, users can get it at the vaccination center, from their family doctor or at the pharmacy. Anyone who buys the immune card from the provider must scan their vaccination certificate via webcam or smartphone. Cost for the digital vaccination certificate in analog form: 9.90 euros.

For just under ten, you basically get a printed version of the CovPass app with the immune card. The back looks a lot like the home page. It contains the QR code that the app would also display, including name, date of birth and vaccination status. According to the manufacturer, the card is accepted across the EU, just like its digital counterparts. The check works as usual via the CovPassCheck app in combination with the identity card.

However, there is one problem for users: The card does not show the technical expiry date of the certificate. This is limited to twelve months from the second vaccination for fully vaccinated people. After a booster vaccination, the date is automatically extended by one year from the date of the third vaccination. However, the former Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) announced at the end of November 2021 that he wanted to adapt the duration to the actual protective effect of the vaccination across the EU. It already subsides after a few months. In addition, while the Corona warning app plays a push message 28 days before the certificate expires, owners of the immune card must keep an eye on the date themselves. This is probably one of the reasons why the manufacturer of the immune card speaks of a good addition to the app solutions, but not of a replacement.