A collaborative effort spanning multiple industries is underway to define a universal standard for digital vaccination records. This standard aims to reliably identify an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status through a system that is both secure, utilizing encryption, and allows for verification of the record’s authenticity and integrity.

The “Vaccination Credential Initiative” brings together prominent organizations from the healthcare and technology sectors, including Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, and Epic. Additional participants include the Mayo Clinic, Safe Health, Change Healthcare, and the CARIN Alliance, among others.

The project builds upon existing, established standards already implemented in digital healthcare, such as the SMART Health Cards specification. This specification aligns with HL7 FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources), a standard designed to enable seamless data exchange between healthcare providers’ digital records. The initiative’s goal is to create a secure digital copy of immunization credentials that individuals can store in a digital wallet of their choosing, with a printed QR code backup available for those without or preferring not to use smartphones, adhering to W3C-standards verifiable credentials.

While vaccination records have existed for centuries, their implementation has often been accompanied by debate and concerns regarding fairness. Current efforts related to COVID-19 already involve requiring negative test results for access to certain locations, although these results do not definitively confirm an individual’s lack of infection or inability to transmit the virus.

Recently, LA County launched a program providing individuals with digital immunization records through a partnership with Healthvana, utilizing Apple’s Wallet technology. However, Healthvana’s CEO clarified that this initiative is intended to inform and support patient care, not to restrict social or geographic access based on immunization status.

This new initiative appears to be geared towards establishing a COVID-19 immunization record as a form of digital identification. The initiative’s name itself, including the term “Credential,” suggests this purpose. Leaders involved acknowledge potential challenges, with Dr. Brian Anderson of MITRE emphasizing the importance of ensuring access for underserved populations and bridging the digital divide.

Statements from Oracle and Salesforce, along with other member organizations, indicate a focus on facilitating the resumption of social and economic activities, including travel, public events, concerts, and sporting events. Safe Health also plans to contribute a privacy-focused health status verification solution, partially leveraging blockchain technology.

Considering the pressing need for solutions that enable a safe return to normalcy and facilitate tracking of the ongoing global vaccination program, a digital approach to traditional vaccination records is logical. However, this approach, while offering new conveniences through smartphones and the internet, also introduces potential risks and vulnerabilities that will likely face close examination from privacy advocates and groups focused on equitable access.