After getting vaccinated for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), posting about it on social media is a win-win situation, as it is a way of spreading the good news among followers and spreads awareness. However, one should not post the certificate that gets generated on the CoWIN application after vaccination on social media.
The government has issued an advisory against posting vaccination certificates online as they carry crucial data which is private to the certificate holder, and should not be revealed to everyone.
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The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has posted the warning on its cyber-safety and cybersecurity awareness Twitter handle Cyber Dost.
"Beware of sharing #vaccination certificate on social media," the government said, sharing a photo with pointers on why it is not safe to share the certificates.
"Covid-19 vaccination certificate contains your name and other personal details. Avoid sharing your vaccination certificate on social media platforms as it may be misused cyber fraudsters to defraud you," the post read. "Be aware and be cybersafe," it added.
{{/usCountry}}"Covid-19 vaccination certificate contains your name and other personal details. Avoid sharing your vaccination certificate on social media platforms as it may be misused cyber fraudsters to defraud you," the post read. "Be aware and be cybersafe," it added.
{{/usCountry}}The certificate issued by the government right after a beneficiary receives their first dose of vaccination contains the beneficiary's name, the last four digits of their identity card, name of the vaccine they have received, time and date of vaccination, name of the vaccination centre, and the next date of vaccination. This is considered a provisional certificate and the beneficiary gets the final certificate on receiving both doses of vaccination.
The vaccination certificate will gain even more importance in the future as several countries, including China, Japan and the European Union, are working on systems that will allow travelers to use them to prove they've been vaccinated in order to avoid quarantine once they reach their destinations.