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The European Commission (EC) recently confirmed it will facilitate the uptake of the EU Digital COVID certificate by the World Health Organization (WHO) and contribute to its operation and further development.
The EU Digital COVID certificate has been issued to over 2.3 billion people.
This means about fifty-one countries can begin accessing the WHO's Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) on July 1, 2023.
This global verification of health document system is designed to deliver better health for all.
The GDHCN's digital capabilities may include verification of vaccinations and prescriptions across country borders, verification of vaccination certificates within borders, the International Patient Summary, and certification of public health professionals through the WHO Academy.
And these capabilities include using EU privacy standards and validating digital signatures to prevent fraud.
However, the WHO will not have access to any underlying personal data, which would continue to be the exclusive domain of national governments.
This digital infrasctrure was initially presented on January 27, 2021, and confirmed in June 2023.
As of July 5, 2023, the U.S. government has not announced its official participation in the GDHCN.
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Thom Tillis introduced the Disease X Act of 2023 to develop the necessary medical countermeasures (MCMs) to combat future pandemics.
The legislation filed on June 28, 2023, provides $40 million per year for five years specifically for Disease X MCMs and requires products developed using funding from the Disease X Program.
Even though deadly infectious disease epidemics can dramatically affect the American public, military personnel, and our economic and national security, there is currently no sustained funding, program, or strategy dedicated to accelerating the development of medical countermeasures for previously identified infectious disease threats with the greatest pandemic potential, referred to as Disease X, wrote these senators.
"The Disease X Act of 2023 empowers Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to invest in modern technologies that will lead to new vaccines and drugs against pandemic–capable viruses."
The Disease X Act of 2023 protects Americans by establishing a Disease X Medical Countermeasures Program at BARDA in the Department of Health and Human Services by the following:
- Providing funding of $40 million per year for five years specifically for Disease X MCMs;
- Clarifying the HHS may award contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements, or enter into other transactions, to promote the development of Disease X MCMs;
- Directing BARDA to accelerate and support the advanced research, development, and procurement of countermeasures and products to address Disease X threats; and
- Requiring products developed using the Disease X Program funding be substantially manufactured in the United States.
"This Act would be a major leap forward in our collective efforts to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat landscape," commented Anita Cicero, Deputy Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, in a press release.
"The Disease X Act of 2023 empowers BARDA to invest in modern technologies that will lead to new vaccines and drugs against pandemic–capable viruses."
Following the reduced demand for access to digital COVID-19 test and vaccine records through the epass.ny.gov portal and the official ending of the pandemic in the U.S., the NYS Wallet that hosts the Excelsior Pass Plus vaccine credential was disconnected as of July 28, 2023.
Since the NYS Wallet app will be removed from app stores, new users cannot log in and register for it.
The app was launched in March 2021 and was eventually used by 11.5 million people.
Media reported various consulting contracts, with over $200 million in spending, are currently the subject of an investigation by the state Office of the Inspector General.
Hazel Crampton-Hays, a spokeswoman for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, said in a statement reported by Joshua Solomon with the Times Union, "Going forward, the state will use the knowledge gained from this project to improve how New Yorkers can use technology to access services and benefits."
The Excelsior Pass Plus and the NYS Wallet Apps provided a secure digital copy of vaccination records, including vaccine type, site, and date of vaccination, validated by the State of New York.
The State of New York says the data collected continues to be private and secure.
The state has set up an "Excelsior Help Desk," which can be reached at 844-699-7277 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., to assist those with questions or concerns about their vaccination records.
Internationally, the World Health Organization confirmed launching a digital health partnership on July 1, 2023, that will help protect citizens worldwide from ongoing and future health threats, including pandemics.
The Tico Times recently reported the Republic of Costa Rica increased its value-added tax (VAT) rate established in Law No. 9882.
Beginning on July 1, 2023, the local VAT was increased from 8% to 13% on the tourism industry.
The list of services for which VAT must be charged is available at the Ministry of Finance (www.hacienda.go.cr). A VAT is a consumption tax assessed on the value added in each good or service production stage.
The Association of Tourist Transporters of Costa Rica (ASTRONATUR) president describes it as “painful” for businesses and consumers, emphasizing that it will take a toll on the tourism sector’s finances.
Regarding health concerns, the U.S. CDC issued a Level 2 - Practice Enhanced Precautions Travel Health Notice in April 2023 regarding a malaria outbreak in Costa Rica.
Other Costa Rica travel news regarding vaccinations, safety, and malaria and dengue outbreaks is posted by Vax-Before-Travel.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expanded its Level 1 - Practice Usual Precautions, Travel Health Notice regarding measles outbreaks.
The CDC identified 38 countries with active measles outbreaks on June 29, 2023.
The leader is India, with over 73,000 measles cases.
Historically, measles outbreaks in the U.S. are rare, generally related to unvaccinated travelers. This year, the CDC has reported 15 measles cases in eleven jurisdictions.
Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air by direct contact with infectious droplets or by airborne spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. Furthermore, the measles virus can live for up to two hours in airspace after an infected person leaves an area.
And infected people can spread measles up to four days before and four days after a rash appears.
The good news is measles is a vaccine-preventable disease.
Approved measles vaccines are generally available at clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.
Reuters recently reported the European Commission secured purchase agreements with New York-based Pfizer Inc. and several European drugmakers to reserve the capacity to produce up to 325 million vaccines per year in case of a future global health emergency.
On June 30, 2023, Reuters confirmed this new agreement covers mRNA, vector-based and protein-based vaccines and does not relate to existing COVID-19 vaccine agreements.
The Commission helps to shape the European Union's (EU) overall strategy, proposes new laws and policies, monitors their implementation, and manages the budget. It also plays a significant role in supporting international development and delivering aid.
To facilitate safe free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU established the EU Digital COVID Certificate in 2023, based on the EU Global Health and World Health Organization (WHO) Global Strategies on digital health.
On July 1, 2023, the WHO took up the EU system of digital COVID-19 certification (passports) to establish a global system that will help protect citizens worldwide from on-going and future health threats, including pandemics.
The U.S. Embassy in Paris recently issued another Security Alert regarding demonstrations in the greater Paris region and other major urban centers in France.
As of June 30, 2023, the embassy is aware of potential security risks surrounding events expected to occur in Paris and the Paris region.
The embassy urges U.S. citizens to avoid these events and follow general guidelines regarding gatherings.
Previous Security Alerts can be found on this website.
The U.S. Embassy in Paris can be contacted at +33 (1) 43 12 22 22 or [email protected]. Additionally, U.S. citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive security updates from the Department of State.
As of June 2, 2023, the U.S. Department of State's Level 2 advisory says visitors to France should exercise increased caution due to civil unrest.
And incidents such as pickpocketing and phone snatchings occur frequently and can happen anywhere, especially in crowded areas such as airports, train stations, subway and train cars, and near tourist attractions.
As always, it is a good practice to notify friends or family of your whereabouts, says the U.S. government.
From a health perspective, the CDC suggests various travel vaccinations when visiting France in 2023.
This article was updated on June 3, 2023, with State Department reference and link.
