During February, about 75 000 vaccination certificates* expire because the last vaccination for the certificate holder was more than 270 days ago. The only way to extend the duration of the certificate is to get a booster dose, and after that, to create a new certificate via the Patient's Portal digilugu.ee.
- From the 1st of February, the vaccination certificates issued in Estonia and other EU membership countries are valid for 9 months instead of 12 months. Therefore, on the 1st of February, 19 600 people don't have a valid certificate any more. You can check if your certification is valid via online app kontroll.digilugu.ee.
- People, who are recovered from COVID-10, and vaccinated with at least two doses, can create a new certification in February via www.digilugu.ee.
- The certificate created after the booster dose is valid for 12 months, aka 365 days after the booster jab.
People, who's certificate are no longer valid, should get their booster dose, which is a great protection against falling seriously ill, and provides the opportunity to create a new vaccination certificate via the Patient's Portal digilugu.ee. People, who had a booster dose as a second dose, for example they are recovered, need to update the certificate in February to get the data about the booster dose.
The Centre of the Health and Wellness Information Systems (CHWIS), who is the provider of the technical solutions for the certificate, has sent notifications to almost 200 000 people to update their vaccination certificates. Until now, notifications have been sent to people who need a new certificate to travel abroad, but from mid-February – all certificate holders who need to update their certificates will get the notification.
To get that notification, it's important that the email address on the eesti.ee website is connected with their personal email. The personal notification will arrive 30 days, and then 2 days in advance before the duration of the certificate expires.
The duration of the certificate starts from the date of the last vaccination, and you can scan the QR code on kontroll.digilugu.ee. Also, the Estonian Insurance Fund has sent SMS notifications to different age groups to remind their time to have a booster dose, these reminders have been sent only to people who have given access to their personal data.
How to update the certificate?
- Log in to the Patient's Portal digilugu.ee using your ID-card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID.
- Click on the green button „EU digital COVID-certificates“
- Click on the button „Start the creation of an EU digital COVID certificate“
- From the drop-in menu, pick the certificate (EU digital vaccination certificate), and click "Continue".
- Save or print the certificate.
COVID-19 booster doses can be done in the family physician's offices, in hospital and private health care institutions, and pharmacies. Also, in all over Estonia, there are walk-in vaccination points, where you don't have to pre-book to have your COVID-19 vaccinations.
People with moving disabilities can have a vaccination at their homes. To do so, they need to contact their family physician's office or call the state helpline 1247.
All vaccination points all over Estonia are visible here.
As recommended by the state immunoprophylaxis committee, booster doses should be done 2 months after getting vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine, and 3 months after getting vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines.
*The data is about people, who didn't have their booster doses by the 19th of January, although they are eligible.
The Ministry of Social Affairs, CHWIS
