El Salvador and Costa Rica Issue First Digital Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificates with IDB and PAHO Support

WASHINGTON — El Salvador and Costa Rica have made the Americas the first region in the world to issue digital yellow fever vaccination certificates in accordance with the standards of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Digital Health Certification Network. This achievement marks a milestone for the region and reflects its leadership in adopting digital innovations in public health. However, while the WHO completes the consultation processes for the implementation of digital certificates, the international paper certificate continues to be required for travelers entering certain countries, ensuring the continuity and safety of international travel.

Both countries achieved this breakthrough thanks to their commitment to the digital transformation of health and the efforts being made in the region with the Pan American Digital Health Roadmap, an initiative promoted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Through programs such as national and regional connectathons and technical support from the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Digital Health (RACSEL), each country has been able to strengthen its capacity to issue digital vaccination certificates in accordance with international standards.

Javier Guzmán, chief of the Health, Nutrition, and Population Division at the IDB, said: “This progress shows how regional cooperation and digital infrastructure can transform the way people access health services. At the IDB, we will continue to support countries so that secure and internationally recognized certificates become a reality throughout the region.”

Yellow fever certificates — and polio certificates in some countries — are the only health documents internationally recognized as an entry requirement under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR). The 2024 amendments, which came into force last September, introduced for the first time the possibility of issuing them in digital or paper format, ensuring authenticity, data protection, and international validity.

Marcelo D'Agostino, PAHO's head of information systems and digital health, stressed that “strengthening the digital health infrastructure will allow people to travel throughout the region in the future without the need for duplicate vaccinations or paperwork, representing a step toward more equitable and efficient health care throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Digital certificates also contribute to global public health security by enabling governments to obtain quality information in real time, optimize resources, and avoid unnecessary costs by preventing duplication in the administration of vaccines, as well as reducing irregular practices such as the creation of informal markets for health certificates that jeopardize public health.

Yellow fever is a potentially fatal viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, but it can be prevented with a single dose of vaccine that offers lifelong protection. In Latin America, as of early November 2025, there have been 295 cases in humans and 122 deaths in six countries.

This achievement reflects the spirit of regional cooperation of PH4H, a joint initiative by the IDB, PAHO, and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to build more connected, safe, reliable, and resilient health systems in all countries in the region.

Within the Global Digital Health Certification Network, the PH4H initiative established a trust domain to enable member countries to mutually recognize and validate digital health certificates issued according to international standards. El Salvador and Costa Rica are setting the bar for the entire continent and inspiring and motivating other countries to continue advancing toward more connected, safe, and accessible health care systems.

The IDB and PAHO recognized the achievements of El Salvador and Costa Rica during the event Pan American Highway for Digital Health: Driving Innovation and Connection in the Americas, held recently in San Salvador, El Salvador, with the participation of 26 countries in the Americas.

During the meeting, twelve countries formally joined the Global Digital Health Certification Network's PH4H domain, expanding regional cooperation in digital health.

The Pan American Highway for Digital Health is supported by the government of Japan.