Big Tech and Big Pharma Team Up to Create Digital “Health Passports” for Global Travel

COVID-19 test results are already required for entry at some airports and at international borders, and it's likely that confirmation of getting a COVID-19 vaccine will soon follow. But most patients who have been vaccinated against the virus only get a small piece of paper as proof. Those papers are easy to lose and highly vulnerable to fraud and counterfeiting, industry stakeholders say. So public and private organizations have turned to the idea of developing digital health passports to help restart global travel. The organizations involved include health technology company Lumedic, IBM, Airport Council International, Commons Project Foundation, COVID-19 Credentials Initiative, Evernym, Hyperledger, International Chamber of Commerce, Mastercard and the ID2020 Alliance, a global partnership that focuses on digital identities. There are various efforts are currently underway to develop digital health credentials systems—both vaccination and test certificates. The CommonPass mobile app, created by the Commons Project Foundation and the World Economic Forum is being used by United Airlines and other airlines on some international flights. The World Health Organization is also working on a digital vaccine certificate for international travel, and Health Pass by Clear is in use at Los Angeles International Airport.