Covid Scotland: When will booster jab show on vaccine passport?

Speaking on Good Morning Scotland, John Swinney said that proof of the booster jab would appear on vaccine passports for international travel from Thursday December 9. 

He added that this would be extended to the domestic vaccine certification scheme, however this would take slightly longer to implement. 

When asked whether booster jabs would be included in the vaccine passport scheme, the deputy first minister said: "For international travel it will from 09 December.

"And we will expand that for domestic certification but that will take us a little more time to do that. But the critical requirement is for international travel and those changes will be applied from 09 December."

Why is it important that boosters show on vaccine passports?

To travel to some countries, you must have been fully vaccinated against Covid within a certain time limit prior to your visit, which ranges from 180-days to a year. 

With Covid jabs rolled out from late last year, it means that some people will already be barred from travel if they cannot provide proof of a booster jab. 

Proof of a booster jab will therefore help people to meet the vaccination requirements of certain countries. 

Who can get a booster jab in Scotland? 

All adults in Scotland will be offered a booster vaccine as advised by the JCVI after results showed a third vaccine significantly improved protection against serious infection. 

The booster jabs aim to curb a potential wave of infections caused by the Omicron variant. 

So far, everyone aged 40 and over and people who are clinically vulnerable have been invited to book their booster jabs in Scotland. 

But soon, everyone over the age of 18 will be able to book a booster jab. 

These third doses will be offered no less than three months after the second dose of the vaccine was administered. 

This time frame between second vaccine and booster jab has been cut from six months to three, as advised by the JCVI.