A coalition of health and technology organizations is working to develop a digital vaccination passport COVID-19 to allow companies, airlines and countries to check whether people have received the vaccine.
The Vaccination Credential Initiative, announced on Thursday, is formulating technology to confirm vaccinations, in the likelihood that some governments will require people to provide evidence of their vaccines to enter the country.
The organization hopes that the technology will allow people to “demonstrate their health to safely return to travel, work, school and life, while protecting the privacy of their data”.
The initiative, which includes members such as Microsoft, Oracle and the US nonprofit Mayo Clinic, is using the work of the Commons Project’s international digital document that checks whether a person has tested negative for COVID-19, the Financial Times reported. .
Commons Project technology, created in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, is being used by three major airline alliances.
The coalition is in discussions with several governments to create a program that requires negative testing or proof of vaccination to enter, Paul Meyer, the chief executive of The Commons Project, told the Times.
“The purpose of the Vaccination Credential Initiative is to empower individuals with digital access to their vaccination records so that they can use tools like CommonPass to safely return to travel, work, school and life, while protecting the privacy of their data,” said Meyer in a launch.
People who have been vaccinated are currently receiving a piece of paper confirming their vaccination, he said, but the coalition could develop a digital certificate using electronic medical records.
The technology will need to allow patients to keep their data safe while it is available on a digital wallet or a physical QR code so that they can regulate who sees the information.
The Vaccination Credential Initiative expects certain companies, such as event planners and universities, to require their consumers, students and employees to provide proof of vaccination, according to the Times.
Mike Sicilia, executive vice president of Oracle’s Global Business Units, said in a statement that the passport “needs to be as easy as online banking”.
“We are committed to working collectively with the technology and medical communities, as well as with global governments, to ensure that people have secure access to this information wherever and whenever they need it,” he added.
The project is also developing as new strains of COVID-19 are emerging around the world, including the spread of the most contagious strain that has been discovered in the UK.