A coalition of tech and health giants is working on a digital COVID-19 passport

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A group of tech giants and health organizations are working together in developing a digital COVID-19 vaccination passport that would give holders access to countries and businesses requiring proof of inoculation, the Hill reports. Called the Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI), the coalition includes Microsoft, Oracle, and the US nonprofit Mayo Clinic.

Announcing its vaccination passport project on Thursday, the VCI said it hopes the technology will enable people to “demonstrate their health status to safely return to travel, work, school and life while protecting their data privacy,” the Hill said.

The initiative will build on The Commons Project’s technology developed in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation. The Commons Project is being used by three major airline alliances, the Hill reports.

In a press release, The Commons Project chief executive Paul Meyer said: “The goal of the Vaccination Credential Initiative is to empower individuals with digital access to their vaccination records so they can use tools like CommonPass to safely return to travel, work, school, and life while protecting their data privacy.”

While those who have been vaccinated currently have a paper record of their inoculation, Meyer said the coalition could come up with a digital certificate using electronic medical records, the Hill reports.

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