Saudi Arabia’s MoH moves to digital system for vaccination certificates for children

In a significant move towards enhancing healthcare efficiency, the Ministry of Health has announced the suspension of paper vaccination certificates for children, shifting to a fully digital system. The initiative is part of the broader digital health transformation aimed at improving health services for citizens.

How does it work?

Parents and guardians can now digitally document their children's vaccinations by booking an appointment through the designated application at the nearest healthcare center's vaccination documentation clinic. Alternatively, vaccinations can be recorded through the Sehhaty application.

The Ministry emphasized the ease of this transition, stating, "Healthcare centers are still receiving citizens to document children's vaccinations at vaccination clinics daily in the morning and evening shifts," ensuring accessibility and convenience.

Why does it matter?

The Ministry's push for digital documentation is crucial for several reasons.

Firstly, it prevents the loss of paper vaccination certificates, which is essential due to the mandatory link between completing vaccinations and school fitness examinations. The Ministry highlighted the urgency, urging, "rapid digital documentation of children paper vaccination certificates, to avoid losing them due to the mandatory link between completing vaccinations and the school fitness examination."

Secondly, it enhances the health services provided to citizens by making vaccination records easily accessible for review and reference at any time.

As part of the digital health transformation, this step simplifies the process for parents and guardians, ensuring that their children's health records are securely and efficiently managed.

The context

The move towards digital vaccination documentation aligns with the Ministry of Health's broader goals of improving healthcare services through digital means. The Sehhaty application, launched by the Ministry, plays a pivotal role in this transformation. It provides individuals in the Kingdom with access to various healthcare services and information, streamlining the process of obtaining health services from different entities within the health sector.

To date, more than 400,000 children's vaccinations have been documented electronically, showcasing the success and widespread adoption of this initiative.