Five Countries Test Europe’s New Digital Leash—Oops, I Mean Vaccination Card

So, it’s happening—Europe’s latest brilliant idea, the European Vaccination Card (EVC), is about to debut in five countries. But don’t worry; it’s just a harmless little card that totally won’t change your life or track your every move. Belgium, Greece, Germany, Latvia, and Portugal are the lucky guinea pigs who will test this thing in September. They’ll be playing around with printed cards, mailed copies, and—because we live in 2024—digital versions for your smartphone.

The “Informed Decision-Making” Sales Pitch

According to Vaccines Today, the EVC is designed to “foster informed decision-making on vaccination” and to “improve continuity of care across the EU.” That sounds nice, right? Who wouldn’t want their vaccination data conveniently stored in one accessible location? But wait—critics are waving their red flags, arguing that this shiny new card is a sneaky stepping stone toward mandatory vaccinations.

A Digital ID by Any Other Name

Dutch attorney Meike Terhorst isn’t buying the whole “improving care” spiel. She sees the EVC for what it really is—a digital ID disguised as a vaccination card. According to her, all your personal details and vaccination records will be stored in one neat package. Easy to carry around Europe without ever having to say, “Oops, I forgot my vax card at home.” Sounds convenient? Sure, until you realize this could be a way to “overrule constitutional rights.”

Terhorst warns that this seemingly innocuous card might just be a way to ensure everyone gets vaccinated, regardless of whether they want to or not. Remember the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union? You know, that little document that talks about the right to the integrity of the person? Yeah, that one. Terhorst argues that the EVC tramples all over it.

EVC: The New Face of the Same Old Game

Here’s the kicker—Terhorst claims that the EVC isn’t all that different from the EU’s Digital COVID Certificate. Sure, they’ve slapped a new label on it and called it something else, but underneath, it’s the same software. It’s all linked together—banking infrastructure, personal medical records, insurance. If you thought your medical records were private, think again.

But wait, there’s more! The EVC is based on the World Health Organization’s Global Digital Health Certification Network. If that doesn’t scream “global surveillance,” I don’t know what does. This digital vaccine passport isn’t just a European thing; it’s part of a worldwide push to create an interoperable digital health certificate. Fun times ahead!

A Plan Long in the Making

If you thought the EVC was a spur-of-the-moment idea, think again. According to Terhorst, plans for this card have been brewing since 2018—long before COVID-19 was even a thing. The EU has been slowly but surely working on this, inching closer to the day when it can issue a passport to all its citizens. Because, you know, nothing says “freedom” like being tracked by your government.

And just when you think it can’t get any worse, Terhorst connects the EVC with amendments to the WHO’s International Health Regulations. These amendments, passed in June 2023, give states the power to enforce medication on anyone during a crisis, emergency, or pandemic. No, it doesn’t say they have to do it, but the option is there. And we all know how governments love to use options.

Pandemic Preparedness or Power Grab?

It’s not just Europe getting in on the action. Other countries are also jumping on the pandemic preparedness bandwagon. Take New Zealand, for example. Last month, they updated their national Pandemic Plan to cover “respiratory-type pathogens of pandemic potential.” How convenient!

And let’s not forget Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. At the World Economic Forum this year, she praised digital IDs as being “very necessary” for public services, including tracking who’s vaccinated and who’s not. Because if there’s one thing we need more of, it’s tracking.

The Pressure to Conform

Terhorst also talks about the intense pressure to get vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remember when we were all told that getting the shot would stop transmission? Yeah, that didn’t quite pan out, did it? And yet, the pressure to conform was relentless. Why was it so important? That’s the million-dollar question. But as Terhorst says, we have to keep digging to uncover the truth.

The Bottom Line

The European Vaccination Card might seem like a harmless, even helpful, tool at first glance. But scratch the surface, and you’ll find a tangled web of digital IDs, global surveillance, and potential infringements on personal freedoms. It’s all dressed up in the language of “improving care” and “informed decision-making,” but the endgame could be something far more concerning.

As Europe moves forward with its plans to roll out the EVC across the continent, we should all be asking ourselves: Is this really about health, or is it about control? Only time will tell, but one thing’s for sure—this isn’t just about keeping track of your vaccination records. It’s about something much bigger.