FG INTRODUCES NEW YELLOW CARD

The Federal Government has introduced a new International Certificate of Vaccination and Prophylaxis popularly called the “Yellow card” to replace the old card.
Consequently, the old card ceases to be valid as from next month.
The decision to introduce a new cardwas reached at the last the National Council on Health meeting in Abuja. It was one of the resolutions agreed for implementation at the meeting.
The new card has an advanced security features that were lacking in the old ones.
Besides, the new card will be produced centrally by the Federal Ministry of Health, while a transition period of six months would be allowed to withdraw the old cards after the introduction of the new one.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, made the disclosure while speaking with journalists at the official flag-off of the new card in Abuja on Monday.
Explaining the rationale behind the introduction of the new card, the minister said, “The new one follow the issue that arose sometimes last year about Nigerians travelling to South Africa and we looked into the issue. We actually found out that part of the confusion is that years ago, the National Council on Health felt as a way of making it easy for Nigerians to obtain it, we should decentralize it and they permitted state governments, even private sector to print their Yellow Card and issue as well as the Federal Government.”
He said the card would be available in primary health centres across the country.
Source: the Nation