Assessment of Reports on Fake Vaccination Certificates

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Dr Wan Rizal
MP for Jalan Besar GRC

Question No. 1572

To ask the Minister for Health with regard to fake vaccination certificates (a) whether the Ministry has conducted any assessment of (i) the current situation of forgery and how widespread it is and (ii) the likelihood of such cases happening in Singapore over the next few months and, if so, what are the findings of such assessment; and (b) whether there are stricter measures put in place to ensure that vaccination certificates cannot be forged for fraudulent purposes.

Written Answer

The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office (SNDGO) have developed various digital solutions to assist businesses to check for valid vaccination certificates and detect fake displays.

Businesses are strongly encouraged to use the SafeEntry (Business) App to check an individual’s vaccination status by requesting the individual to tap his or her TraceTogether (TT) App or Token against the businesses’ SafeEntry (Business) App. This would confirm the status of the individual’s vaccination status directly with MOH’s databases. It also allows individuals to concurrently and conveniently perform SafeEntry check-in.

Businesses may also ask to see individuals’ TT App or HealthHub App for their vaccination, or test, status. There are a number of ways to verify the certificates as genuine and to ensure that what is displayed is not just a screen shot of somebody else’s TT App or HealthHub display. For example, businesses can look out for the “signal” animation on the TT App. One can also tap through icons in the App, or click on the “refresh” button next to the “COVID Health Status”. Lastly the business can check the particulars on the HealthHub App against the individual’s government-issued identification card.

As for Singaporeans, Permanent Residents and Long-Term Pass Holders who received vaccination overseas, they would need to present proof of their overseas vaccination and submit themselves to a serology test at participating healthcare providers. After confirmation of a positive result for their serology test, their vaccination status would then be updated in MOH’s databases by their healthcare provider. Their vaccination status would thereafter be displayed in the TT App or the HealthHub App.

Agencies’ enforcement teams will monitor whether establishments are indeed making appropriate checks on their patrons’ vaccination, or test, status. Individuals who are found to have deliberately misrepresented themselves and/or others, for example through the provision of false or misleading verification documents and/or information, could be subject to criminal enforcement and prosecution.