Patients still struggling to access digital Covid cert, says GP

The helpline for the EU digital Covid certificate received 323,000 calls in just one month. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

People who only need one vaccine shot as they had Covid-19 previously have not been able to access the EU digital Covid certificate, a Waterford GP has said.

The helpline for the certificate has been swamped by calls, with 323,000 received in one month. Almost 49,000 of these have been answered, with another 135,000 queries answered through the web portal, said a spokeswoman for the Department of Health.

Advice for healthcare professionals issued by the HSE on vaccine status includes a section on people who had Covid-19 confirmed within nine months before their first vaccine.

This says, for healthy immunocompetent people under 50, that “a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine is sufficient and they should then be considered fully vaccinated”. 

However, GP Tadhg O’Carroll has already had two patients who fall into this category denied access to the digital Covid certificate.

“They are fully vaccinated, in this case, if they get one dose," said Dr O'Carroll. 

I can’t turn around and give a second dose, having been told they only need one. The system doesn’t seem to accommodate that.” 

One young woman told him of her disappointment at being refused the certificate. She cannot accompany her vaccinated family into some places, and said people assume she is anti-vaccine.

She is willing to take a second vaccine but Dr O’Carroll said that is not possible under the protocols.

“If I did vaccinate her, it would be going against the advice that is given,” he said.

“If she had a reaction, I could be blamed for any adverse outcome. I wouldn’t have a defence.” 

In the second case, a father-to-be wants his certificate in case there are questions about his vaccination status at the maternity hospital his partner will soon attend.

“When he phoned the helpline, he was told just go back to your GP and have another vaccine. The easiest thing is just to say go back to your GP,” said Dr O’Carroll.

However, the GP said even if he wanted to take the risk, his practice does not have any more vaccine doses. Deliveries are based on the information provided on each patient.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: “EU digital Covid vaccination certificates are currently being issued to people who have received a full, valid course of vaccination in Ireland.” 

A pharmacist familiar with the system said it is also causing problems for people who had two different types of vaccine for health reasons. They are sometimes marked as having an incomplete vaccination with only the first dose recognised on the system.