| Hey everyone, it's Natalia. It's been a disastrous few days for the European Union vaccine rollout. Already badly lagging on distribution, EU countries including Germany, Italy and France suspended use of AstraZeneca Plc's Covid-19 vaccine over fears of blood clotting. Meanwhile, Italy has returned to lockdown, and Austria's health minister said he's observing "the start of a third wave." Yet the slew of negative headlines haven't stopped some in Europe from looking to the end of the pandemic, and the new freedom of movement vaccines will eventually bring. On Wednesday, the European Union is set to unveil plans for a vaccine certificate designed to resuscitate travel. The so-called "EU Covid Card" or "digital green certificate" will allow holders to verify which vaccine they've received, as well as show the results of a coronavirus test, and whether they have recovered from Covid-19, Bloomberg reported. The effort is aimed at reopening borders within the bloc—especially as tourism season looms—while preventing further spread of the virus. Of course, such certificates, often called "vaccine passports," are a complicated topic in their own right. Europe's plans have raised questions about how governments will manage to link up different national health systems while keeping people's data secure and private. The systems will likely hold sensitive information including a person's name, passport or identity card number, date of birth, the vaccine they have taken and the number of doses administered. The risk of excluding people without vaccines from society has also prompted warnings by some civil liberties advocates. "Vaccination can't be the only way to unlock all sorts of freedoms when there are people who can't or won't get vaccinated—often through no fault of their own," said Israel Butler, head of advocacy at the Civil Liberties Union for Europe. "Aside from being a distraction from the task of vaccination, the pass could end up creating a two-tier society." The EU has said that a vaccine certificate shouldn't become a pre-condition for free movement, and that it will not require vaccinations, according to an early draft of government plans obtained by Bloomberg. The exact mechanics of the certificates are still unclear. One option that's being considered, according to an EU official, is using near-field communication chips on smartphones—but that is something Apple Inc. famously forbids third party developers to access. Another option could entail using QR codes, which would also allow those without smartphones to print them out and scan them before boarding a train, when checking in at a hotel or dining out at a restaurant. Despite the implementation hurdles, there are real benefits of providing Covid-19 assurance to travelers. And if Europe does find a sustainable vaccine international passport solution that works across its 27 member states—the EU could create an important framework for the rest of the world to move toward normalcy. First, though, it has to get people vaccinated. —Natalia Drozdiak | 
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