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“We got most of the major healthcare technology providers in the country,” said JP Pollak, co-founder of The Commons Project, a global non-profit organization that is part of the VCI consortium. “We have most of the major drugstore chains, all of the major healthcare systems. Several states have agreed to adopt this particular standard.
Massachusetts is not one of them, at least not yet. And the state’s public health department has not responded to repeated requests about whether it will provide residents with a way to prove they have been vaccinated.
But people vaccinated in Massachusetts can still use the SMART card, if they received their vaccines from CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart, as those channels are participating or will participate.
During this time, people who have been vaccinated at state-run sites can obtain electronic proof of vaccination from their health care providers. All vaccinations in Massachusetts are recorded in a Department of Public Health database that healthcare companies can access to update patient immunization records.
For example, Atrius Health patients who have been vaccinated at state-run sites can find proof of vaccination by logging into the Atrius website. However, Atrius does not yet issue SMART health cards, so it only displays a confirmation text, not the more secure encrypted QR code. A spokesperson for Atrius said the company may implement the technology at some point, but has made no decision.
Other states, however, have already adopted the SMART system, including New York, California and Louisiana. Pollak said other states he couldn’t name are on the cusp of joining, and he expects SMART health cards to be available for about 100 million U.S. residents in about a month.
The SMART system has a QR code that can be displayed on a smartphone screen or printed on a sheet of paper. The code can be read by any smartphone or computer with the right software. It reveals the person’s name and date of birth, as well as the date of vaccination, where it was given and the vaccine used. It does not display any other medical information. The code is also digitally signed to ensure that it was issued by a legitimate institution, such as a state public health department or a pharmacy. This virtually eliminates any risk of counterfeiting.
To prove vaccination, users display the SMART health card with a separate piece of identification, such as a driver’s license or passport to verify identity.
For now, businesses that require proof of vaccination will rely on old-fashioned paper cards. This is in part because few people still have SMART health cards. Additionally, businesses wishing to see proof of vaccination should be configured to scan QR codes. But it’s easy; any smartphone can do it, and Commons Project has created a free app that scans the codes to confirm they are legitimate.
The SMART system does not solve all problems with proof of vaccination. For example, there is still no global standard. The European Union is developing its own version, as are India, China and Singapore. Pollak said the consortium is working to ensure that the various systems, including SMART, will be usable around the world.
And the rollout of SMART health cards doesn’t resolve the controversy over whether people should be forced to use them to work, go to school, or eat in a restaurant. The Baker administration ordered that all employees at nursing homes in Massachusetts be vaccinated. California and New York require all state employees to prove their vaccinations or get tested weekly; the same is true for municipal workers in New York. Hundreds of colleges and universities are mandating the vaccine, as are many employers, including Facebook, Google, and Netflix.
Many other institutions have avoided mandatory vaccinations. But if the idea continues to gain traction, the SMART Health Card system will make these mandates much easier to apply.
Hiawatha Bray can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @GlobeTechLab.
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