Vaccination Passports - What are they? | healthcare technology | Scoop.it
March 24, 2021 4:55 PM

As mass vaccination programs are being rolled out globally, vaccine passports have become a major topic of discussion.

 

COVID test results and proof of vaccine will be required in many countries for quarantine-free travel, just as it has been for polio and yellow fever vaccinations in the past.

 

Countries will need to look at convenient and secure ways for verifying COVID-19 test results and vaccination information at airports and borders.

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also called for a “global standard to securely record digital proof of vaccination”.  They have been promoting the IATA Travel Pass Initiative (https://www.iata.org/en/programs/passenger/travel-pass/)

 

 

In February, Qantas completed a trial run of an app for this purpose on an international repatriation flight from Frankfurt to Darwin.

 

The idea behind the app is that health or border officials and airline staff may be able to easily verify COVID-19 test results and vaccination history of an individual.

 

The app links customers with certified testing labs to allow their results to be automatically uploaded onto it.

 

Similar digital solutions are being developed in several other countries around the world to enable travel again. For instance, travellers from Singapore will receive a notarized certificate following a negative COVID-19 test that they can present at airports around the world.

 

Another example is France taking part in a month-long trial of a vaccine passport that leverages a smart phone app. 

 

Its important that such digital health technologies, whether apps or chip cards, or health tracker add ons, be easy to use. It important that the process  be as seamless as possible for flyers share the relevant information as well as get the information validated by the ground and air staff so they people can  travel internationally, again, safely!

 

 

image source: https://foto.wuestenigel.com/person-hands-holding-a-covid-19-passport/

 

image license:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/