WHO ICVP Demonstration
Data Elements Reference
International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) - Minimal data elements required for international travel verification under WHO International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).
This reference shows the specific data fields needed to implement a digital ICVP according to the WHO SMART ICVP Implementation Guide. The ICVP is focused exclusively on border verification for international travel, not comprehensive vaccination tracking.
1. Certificate Details
Document-level metadata for the vaccination certificate
| Element | Description | FHIR Type | Required | FHIR Path | Value Set / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate Identifier | Unique certificate number for this ICVP document. Used for verification and tracking purposes. | string | Yes | Bundle.identifier.value | System-generated unique identifier |
| Issue Date | Date and time when the certificate was issued by the authorized center. | dateTime | Yes | Composition.date | ISO 8601 date format |
| Expiry Date | Certificate validity end date per IHR requirements. Some vaccines (yellow fever) are valid for lifetime, others may have specific validity periods. | dateTime | Optional | Composition.extension[validity-period].valuePeriod.end | Disease-specific validity rules |
| Issuing Authority Name | Name of the organization that issued the certificate. Must be a WHO-authorized vaccination center with official stamp authority. | string | Yes | Organization.name | WHO-authorized vaccination centers only |
| Issuing Authority Identifier | Official identifier or license number of the issuing organization for verification purposes. | Identifier | Yes | Organization.identifier.value | National health authority identifier |
| Issuing Authority Phone | Contact phone number for the issuing organization for verification and follow-up. | string | Yes | Organization.telecom.value | International phone format preferred |
2. Patient/Traveler Details
Minimal identification information for the traveler, as required by IHR
| Element | Description | FHIR Type | Required | FHIR Path | Value Set / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Traveler's complete name exactly as it appears on their passport or travel document. Critical for border verification. | HumanName | Yes | Patient.name.text | Must match travel document exactly |
| Date of Birth | Traveler's date of birth for identification verification at borders. | date | Yes | Patient.birthDate | ISO 8601 date format (YYYY-MM-DD) |
| Sex | Administrative sex as specified in the WHO IHR model certificate form. | code | Yes | Patient.gender | male | female | other | unknown |
| Nationality | Traveler's nationality as required by IHR model for international travel verification. | CodeableConcept | Yes | Patient.extension[nationality] | ISO 3166 country codes |
| National ID Document | Passport number or national identification document number for verification purposes. | Identifier | Yes | Patient.identifier | Usually passport number, must include system |
3. Immunization Details
Vaccination record details (repeat for each vaccination) - focused on IHR-covered diseases
| Element | Description | FHIR Type | Required | FHIR Path | Value Set / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaccine/Prophylaxis | Specific vaccine product administered. Must be WHO-approved vaccine for diseases covered under IHR (primarily yellow fever, occasionally polio). | CodeableConcept | Yes | Immunization.vaccineCode | WHO-approved vaccines only (ICD-11 or similar) |
| Administration Date | Date when the vaccine was administered. Critical for calculating validity periods. | dateTime | Yes | Immunization.occurrenceDateTime | ISO 8601 date format |
| Manufacturer & Batch | Vaccine manufacturer and batch/lot number as required by IHR for traceability and safety monitoring. | string | Yes | Immunization.lotNumber | From vaccine vial label |
| Valid From Date | Date from which the vaccination is considered valid for travel. Yellow fever is valid 10 days after administration. | date | Yes | Immunization.extension[validity-period].valuePeriod.start | Disease-specific rules (YF: +10 days) |
| Valid Until Date | End date of vaccination validity for travel purposes, if applicable. | date | Optional | Immunization.extension[validity-period].valuePeriod.end | Yellow fever: lifetime validity |
| Administering Practitioner | Licensed medical practitioner who administered the vaccine. Required for IHR compliance and verification. | Practitioner | Yes | Immunization.performer.actor | Licensed healthcare professional |
| Administering Center | Healthcare facility where vaccination was administered. Must have WHO authorization to issue ICVPs. | Organization | Yes | Immunization.location | WHO-authorized vaccination center |
Key Requirements
- Language: Form must be completed in English or French per IHR requirements
- WHO Approval: Only vaccines approved by WHO are valid for ICVP
- Scope: Focused on diseases under International Health Regulations (primarily yellow fever, occasionally polio)
- Purpose: Border verification for international travel only - not for comprehensive health records
- Authorization: All entries must be from WHO-authorized vaccination centers
- Minimal Data: No contact information, clinical details, or non-essential data included
Implementation Notes
This ICVP implementation should create a FHIR Bundle containing:
- Composition: Document header with certificate metadata
- Patient: Traveler identification details
- Immunization: One resource per vaccination record
- Organization: Issuing authority and vaccination centers
- Practitioner: Healthcare providers who administered vaccines
For complete technical specifications, refer to the WHO SMART ICVP Implementation Guide.
ICVP Data Entry Form
Enter sample data below to see how ICVP data elements are captured for processing into a FHIR Bundle: