February 10, 2021
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Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle are just a few of the large tech companies that have joined the Vaccination Credential Initiative, a group that describes itself as a “coalition of public and private partners committed to empowering individuals with digital access to their vaccination records.” The goal for this project is to develop technology that will allow users to conveniently provide proof that they have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Users will be able to display their vaccination records in a passport-like card featured in their smartphone’s digital wallet, such as the Apple Wallet or Google Pay.
The health organizations that are assisting with this project, described as Vaccination Data Sources, must agree to provide individuals with access to their vaccination records through SMART Health Cards that will be listed in a common registry of issuers. From these registries, individuals will be able to access their personal information through digital applications featuring QR codes that are available to be scanned whenever necessary.
The demand for this software has surged as roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine has begun in most western countries. As public spaces begin to re-open, determining whether individuals have been vaccinated will prove difficult for businesses. The CEO of the Commons Project Foundation has stated that the Vaccination Credential Initiative hopes to address this issue and allow individuals to “safely return to travel, work, school, and life, while protecting their data privacy.”
Each member of the coalition will be bringing a unique set of technologies and expertise to the project. A Salesforce representative has stated that their role will be to “help organizations easily and safely customize all aspects of the vaccination management lifecycle and integrate closely with other coalition members’ offerings.” Meanwhile, Oracle will focus their efforts on working with medical communities and global governments to ensure access to sensitive medical data can be made available where and when it is needed.
Author: Sasha Seeber