You may require vaccine passport too in future

Photo: Jason Toevs

Finding the niche for digital platforms which contain credentials of Covid-19 tests and vaccinations, which shows the person has been tested positive, companies have started working on many smartphone apps and systems, a report by CNN said.

The companies think that such digital systems may be needed in order to enter different venues like stadiums,cinema theaters and even countries. Individuals would be requested to upload the credentials of Covid-19 tests and vaccinations in order to produce these digital passports at various venues.

It is in the wake of new vaccination programs across the world that companies made this move.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) is skeptical that these passports can stop the spread of new coronavirus variants.

“At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an “immunity passport” or “risk-free certificate,” the WHO said.

According to CNN, CommonPass app, created by the Geneva-based nonprofit The Commons Project allows users to upload medical data such as a Covid-19 test result or, eventually, a proof of vaccination by a hospital or medical professional, generating a health certificate or pass in the form of a QR code that can be shown to authorities without revealing sensitive information. For travel, the app lists health pass requirements at the points of departure and arrival based on your itinerary.

The Commons Project and the World Economic Forum, has partnered with several airlines including Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Swiss Airlines, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, as well as hundreds of health systems across the United States and the government of Aruba.

IBM has also developed an app called Digital Health Pass. This app allows the user to provide the credentials of coronavirus tests and temperature checks in order to enter different venues.