A coalition of healthcare organizations and technology companies, including Microsoft and Oracle, are working on a project that verifies who has received the coronavirus vaccine and prevents others from making false claims.
The so-called Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI) aims to help people obtain encrypted digital copies of their vaccination records stored in a digital portfolio.
VCI says it is working to obtain credentials by specifying SMART health cards, which is designed to allow people to store vaccination or lab results in a digital wallet and can be presented in the form of a QR code to scan it to verify it.
However, digital passports and paper credentials are raising concern among privacy groups who believe that “until everyone has access to an effective vaccine, any system that requires a passport for entry or service will be unfair.” , according to Privacy International.
“The vaccine is a public health exercise and should not be a new discriminator,” the group shared on its website.
The group agrees that these records are “probably necessary,” but worries that they may “open a can of worms.”
“To what extent do you need to rely on this documentation to be reviewed by other providers? And who else will want to access it? This is where things get complicated. And this is where the ambitions lie,” says Privacy International.
The Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI) aims to help people obtain encrypted digital copies of their vaccination records stored in a digital portfolio. The initiative is part of the CommonPass of the Commons Project Foundation (pictured)
It seems that VCI does not consider its project to be fair, but as a way to help society return to pre-pandemic life and do so safely.
The initiative comes from the Commons Project Foundation, which is working on its Common Pass that allows travelers to submit vaccination records or coronavirus test results when they fly and cross borders into other countries.
Some airlines, including United Airlines and JetBlue, are currently testing CommonPass.
Paul Meyer, executive director of The Commons Project, said: “The goal of the vaccination credentials initiative is to empower people with digital access to their vaccination records so they can use tools like CommonPass to safely return to travel, work, school and life, while protecting the privacy of your data. ‘
However, digital passports and paper credentials are raising concern among privacy groups who believe that “as long as everyone has access to an effective vaccine, any system that requires a passport for entry or service will be unfair.
“Open standards and interoperability are at the core of VCI’s efforts and we look forward to supporting the World Health Organization and other global stakeholders in implementing and scaling open global standards for interoperability. health data “
VCI includes big tech names like Microsoft, Salesforce and Oracle, as well as Mayo Clinic, a non-profit U.S. healthcare company.
Bill Patterson, executive vice president and general manager of business software firm Salesforce, said his company wants to help organizations customize all aspects of the vaccination management lifecycle and integrate seamlessly with ‘other members of the coalition, which will help us all get back to public life. ‘
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“With a unique platform to help deliver safe and ongoing operations and deepen trust with customers and employees, this coalition will be crucial in supporting public health and well-being.”
The group predicts that digital passports are vital for air travel and want the verification of a vaccine to be as easy as online banking.
However, people without smartphones will receive printed paper with QR codes containing the credentials.
In the United States, where Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been authorized for emergency use, vaccinated individuals receive a vaccination card or printout.