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If you’re one of the lucky 10.8 million who have received the COVID-19 vaccine (that’s about one in 30 Americans), then all you have to show right now is a piece of paper, but that could change soon. .
A coalition of tech companies and health organizations announced Thursday that they are working on developing an app that will allow people to share their immunization status, reports The New York Times.
Companies, including Salesforce, Oracle, Microsoft and the Mayo Clinic, are working to create a “vaccine passport app” that will allow people to establish their immunization status for work, travel and other activities.
There is already a similar app available for air travelers to show airlines that they recently tested negative for COVID-19 on a plane. The Common Pass is currently used by United Airline and JetBlue among other carriers.
The Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI) is being launched to provide a “reliable, traceable, verifiable and universally recognized digital record of immunization status,” the coalition said in a press release. A digital recording “is urgently needed around the world to enable people to return to work, school, events and travel safely,” the statement said.
The goal of VCI is to give individuals access to an encrypted digital copy of their immunization records. The coalition also said those who did not have a smartphone could receive paper printed with QR codes containing the credentials.
The COVID-19 paper records currently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the vaccine manufacturer, lot number, and date of inoculation, but there is no federal system in place that allows for a easy access to online vaccination records.
“As the world begins to recover from the pandemic, having electronic access to immunizations, tests and other medical records will be essential to resume travel and more,” said Mike Sicilia, Executive Vice President Oracle’s global business units, in the release. “This process should be as easy as online banking.”
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