The Ministry of Health wishes to provide further clarification on the recent changes in the coding of vaccination certificates for the Janssen vaccine (Johnson & Johnson), which has led to the issuance of new and corrected certificates for a number of individuals.
Indeed, Luxembourg has aligned itself with a recent European recommendation which suggests encoding a first dose of Janssen vaccine as 1/1 (first dose of a single dose vaccination), and then, if applicable, the booster vaccination with a second Janssen dose or an mRNA vaccine (so-called "Mix & Match" vaccination) with the code 2/1. It is important to understand that the certificate coded 2/1 is read exactly the same way as the old 3/3 certificate by the CovidCheck app in Luxembourg and that the 2/1 dose is thus currently considered a booster dose.
This also applies for travel within the European Union and in third countries that recognise the EU Digital COVID Certificate. However, it is possible that some states have a delay in the implementation of the new coding rule and could therefore not yet correctly recognise the 2/1 code. In this respect, it is important to note that the old 3/3 certificates remain valid and can be used in these situations. It is therefore recommended that you also carry your old certificate when travelling abroad.
Finally, it is important to note that these purely administrative changes are not to be confused with the decision of the German Federal Government to require a three-injection vaccination for people initially immunised with the Janssen vaccine on its territory from 15 January 2022. Germany, on the advice of the Ständige Impfkommission (STIKO), considers that the protection provided by a vaccination based on an initial injection of Janssen vaccine, followed by a simple booster, is not equivalent to the protection provided by other three-injection vaccinations with booster.
Other European countries, as well as Luxembourg through its High Council for Infectious Diseases (Conseil supérieur des maladies infectieuses – CSMI), are conducting similar reviews.
Press release by the Ministry of Health