Subject: [113attendees] converting vaccination papers

From: Michael Richardson <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2022 20:02:49 -0400

Can/Should we attempt to get our JSON-based vaccination certificates
converted to the EU COSE based one?

I gather in many places this is done by visiting a pharmacy and talking to
the pharmacist, but I'd like to know if we have some official advice at this
point?

--
Michael Richardson <[email-masked]>, Sandelman Software Works
 -= IPv6 IoT consulting =-

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From: nanic <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 06:59:18 +0200

I have corresponded on this list in this regard after getting official advice from the Vienna municipal health authorities.

In short, the format is not the issue, it matters whether the country has "joined" the EU digital certificate system, which would make this as easy as scanning a QR Code.

Certificates from third countries require manual transcription, usually at pharmacies, but only EU nationals or EU residents are entitled and the milage for others may thus vary.

My own experience in Germany confirms this,  in France they seem more liberal about it.

My understanding from previous correspondence is that you are not familiar with Google searches :-)-O, I found

https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/106271/non-eu-countries-welcome-join-eu-digital-covid-certificate-system_en

greetings, el

—
Sent from Dr Lisse’s iPhone/iPad
On 18. Mar 2022, 02:03 +0200, Michael Richardson <[email-masked]>, wrote:
> 113attendees mailing list
> [email-masked]
> https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/113attendees

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From: Michael Richardson <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 04:14:55 -0400

nanic <[email-masked]> wrote:
    > My understanding from previous correspondence is that you are not
    > familiar with Google searches :-)-O, I found

    > https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/106271/non-eu-countries-welcome-join-eu-digital-covid-certificate-system_en

Since I don't represent Canada (or specifically Ontario)'s health system, I can't really
commit my jurisdiction to this, as much as I'd like to.  Had you read the
article, you'd know the article does not apply.

I was looking for an official recommendation.

The restaurant I visited on Thursday was happy to attempt to scan my QRcode,
look confused when it didn't work, and let me sit down and eat anyway.
It concerns me since I don't think the host actually looked at the paper long
enough to see it said Canada at the top.

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From: Dr Eberhard W Lisse <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 10:48:34 +0200

Michael,

The Google reference was in jest as indicated by my trademarked smiley
:-)-O. I could in this email write that had you read my previous email
you would had seen my reference about my engagement with the local
authorities but, we can have a beer somewhere this week (or a coffee)
instead, and I'll send you the location as a What3Word :-)-O

I am a OBGYN by profession and seized with the matter professionally in
my (that) day job.  And as I am also a native German speaker I had this
discussion about transcribing foreign vaccinations into the Austrian
(EU) QR code with the relevant health authority who said very
pleasantly but quite clearly only EU citizens and residents can have
foreign vaccinations entered.  It's the same in Germany where I had that
actually done and will have them enter my booster tomorrow.  It's a
little more relaxed in France.

However, as you have noted, you just have to schlepp around some form of
"proof" of vaccination, and while the yellow WHO booklet is what is most
widely known, I am sure that most reasonable forms such as an app of the
home country are acceptable, especially if one doesn't address the
proprietor in native German with some form of Austrian dialect, they are
used to tourists.

Canada is indeed not on the list, but Jay Daley will be pleased to note
that New Zealand is.

I share your concern somewhat, as I come from a country where health
care is not as accessible as in the EU or Canada and hence we have to
keep the new infections down, whereas over there the hospital and ICU
utilization rates are the determining factor.  And as that seems under
control to the electorate who are totally fed up with the restrictions,
the regulations are lifted despite better judgement, and even through
you and I we still don't want to catch it :-)-O

So, masking, disinfecting, distancing and probably boosting will go on
for a while, whether mandated or not.

greetings, el

On 2022-03-18 10:14 , Michael Richardson wrote:
> Since I don't represent Canada (or specifically Ontario)'s health
> system, I can't really commit my jurisdiction to this, as much as I'd
> like to.  Had you read the article, you'd know the article does not
> apply.
> 
> The restaurant I visited on Thursday was happy to attempt to scan my
> QRcode, look confused when it didn't work, and let me sit down and eat
> anyway.  It concerns me since I don't think the host actually looked
> at the paper long enough to see it said Canada at the top.
[...]

-- 
Dr Eberhard W Lisse
Managing Director
Namibian Network Information Center (Pty) Ltd.
PO Box 8421 Bachbrecht 10007 Namibia
If this email is signed with GPG, Sect 20 Act No 4 of 2019 may apply

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From: Alexandre Petrescu <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 10:04:13 +0100

> little more relaxed in France.

Yes, since March 14th, the QR code pass is no more required in France 
except health settings (hospital, retire houses, handicap houses, "à 
l'entrée des hôpitaux, des maisons de retraite et des établissements 
pour personnes handicapées.", fr.) 
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/actualites/A15556?xtor=EPR-100

But this has nothing to do with the covid situation: case numbers are 
increasing, a 6th wave is expected.

Alex

>>      > My understanding from previous correspondence is that you are not
>>      > familiar with Google searches :-)-O, I found
>>
>>      >

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From: Dr Eberhard W Lisse <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 11:27:21 +0200

I am not sure it's a wave, but see that more as a response to relaxation
of measures.  And, as long as the hospitals and ICUs can cope and
fatality rates are low so be it.

As before I run the Johns Hopkins data set ever so often through R and
find those dips in the curves interesting.

el

[...]
>> It's a little more relaxed in France.
> 
[...]]
[...]

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From: Ted Lemon <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 05:32:09 -0400

It’s a new variant. That’s why you see the double curve. The first peak is
the initial omicron variant. The second peak is the new variant.
Fortunately it’s not worse than the previous one, but it is more
infectious. I’m a bit concerned that a fair few of us will wind up missing
our meetings and having an unscheduled vacation in Vienna, given that it
seems to be peaking there right now.

On Fri, Mar 18, 2022 at 05:27 Dr Eberhard W Lisse <[email-masked]>
wrote:

> If this email is signed with GPG, Sect 20 Act No 4 of 2019 may apply--

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From: "John Levine" <[email-masked]>
Date: 18 Mar 2022 14:40:28 -0400

>Canada is indeed not on the list, but Jay Daley will be pleased to note

There is a standard barcode in Europe, and a standard barcode in North
America. They are both a QR representation of a signed JSON block, but
needless to say, they are different and incompatible.

For some reason New South Wales uses the American one.

El Salvador uses the EU one.  Perhaps you can pay for it in Bitcoin.

R's,
John

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From: Tony Finch <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 18:50:01 +0000

John Levine <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
> There is a standard barcode in Europe,

Yes, but a friend of mine managed to work out the details of  an
interoperability bug - https://diziet.dreamwidth.org/10886.html

-- 
Tony Finch  <[email-masked]>  https://dotat.at/
Faeroes: Southwest 7 to severe gale 9, backing south 6 to gale 8
later. High, occasionally very rough in east. Rain at first. Moderate
or poor.

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From: "Charles Eckel (eckelcu)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 18:54:11 +0000

> needless to say, they are different and incompatible.

I had my paper vaccination card from the US converted to a Pass Sanitaire at a pharmacy in CDG airport (outside Paris). The QR code for my US vaccination has been accepted at some places in Vienna, but has been rejected at others, in which case I successfully used the Pass Sanitaire. If anyone from the US happens to have a layover at CDG, go to the pharmacy at 2F.

Cheers,
Charles

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From: nanic <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 21:55:42 +0300

Thanks,

what’s the name of that variant?

We are not seeing it yet in Namibia.

el

—
Sent from Dr Lisse’s iPhone/iPad
On 18. Mar 2022, 12:32 +0300, Ted Lemon <[email-masked]>, wrote:
> It’s a new variant. That’s why you see the double curve. The first peak is the initial omicron variant. The second peak is the new variant. Fortunately it’s not worse than the previous one, but it is more infectious. I’m a bit concerned that a fair few of us will wind up missing our meetings and having an unscheduled vacation in Vienna, given that it seems to be peaking there right now.
>
> > On Fri, Mar 18, 2022 at 05:27 Dr Eberhard W Lisse <[email-masked]> wrote:

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From: Alexandre Petrescu <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 22:20:09 +0100

I think he meant BA.2 as a name of variant

Le 18/03/2022 à 19:55, nanic a écrit :
>> It’s a new variant. That’s why you see the double curve. The first 
>> peak is the initial omicron variant. The second peak is the new 
>> variant. Fortunately it’s not worse than the previous one, but it is 
>> more infectious. I’m a bit concerned that a fair few of us will wind 
>> up missing our meetings and having an unscheduled vacation in Vienna, 
>> given that it seems to be peaking there right now.
>>

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From: Ted Lemon <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2022 18:21:32 -0400

Yup, BA.2. Sorry for not specifying earlier—I couldn't remember the exact
name and didn't want to mislead.

On Fri, Mar 18, 2022 at 5:20 PM Alexandre Petrescu <
[email-masked]> wrote:

> On 18. Mar 2022, 12:32 +0300, Ted Lemon <[email-masked]>
> <[email-masked]>, wrote:
>

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From: Dr Eberhard W Lisse <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2022 12:48:38 +0100

Ah, you mean the Omicron subvariant.

It’s always interesting how much an Obstetrician and Gynecologist with an “interest”  in infectious diseases in pregnancy can learn at the IETF. Thank you.

el

—
Sent from Dr Lisse’s iPhone/iPad
On 18. Mar 2022, 23:23 +0100, Ted Lemon <[email-masked]>, wrote:
> Yup, BA.2. Sorry for not specifying earlier—I couldn't remember the exact name and didn't want to mislead.
>
> > On Fri, Mar 18, 2022 at 5:20 PM Alexandre Petrescu <[email-masked]> wrote:

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From: Dr Eberhard W Lisse <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2022 13:28:51 +0100

I just arrived in Germany and had my booster vaccination (Namibia) transferred from my yellow WHO vaccination booklet into the EU digital certificate, the QR code of which reads into the German App and the Austrian Green Pass and shows valid.

el

—