The European Union announced the launch of the digital vaccine passport on the 17th of this month, after announcing the sample of the vaccine passport on Sunday, is expected to be launched on or before June 15. The Washington Post reported yesterday that the U.S. Biden administration intends to follow the practices of the European Union and other places, is working with private companies to develop a “vaccine passport,” but it is understood that there are still some challenges in the development process, including the need to address data privacy issues.
The EU will launch a “health passport” (commonly known as a vaccine passport) that will be common to twenty-seven member states to facilitate travel between member states.
Brighton, the EU’s executive member for the internal market and vaccine commissioner, on Sunday made public a sample of the passport, which contains the name of the holder, the name of the vaccination and other information, and is available in both digital and printed paper form on cell phones. Brighton said the passport is applicable to the European Union, is not mandatory and is voluntary for individuals, to facilitate participation in group activities or travel by air, etc. In the United States, the Biden Administration and private companies are also working to develop vaccine passports. President Biden has earlier vowed to return the country to normalcy this summer, plus more and more companies, including cruise lines and sports teams, are saying they need proof of vaccination to feel comfortable reopening their doors to guests or spectators, giving more impetus to Washington’s efforts to develop a vaccine passport.
The Washington Post quoted five unnamed U.S. officials as saying that the Biden administration’s development program is being led primarily by branches of the Department of Health and Human Services, including an office that focuses on health information technology. But according to the officials, they still face a number of challenges in developing the vaccine passport, including the need to address issues of data privacy and health care equity. They are committed to ensuring that all Americans have access to proof that they have been vaccinated, and they want to create a system that is not easily hacked to prevent vaccine passports from being falsified.
The WaPo also said it is expected that the U.S. vaccine passport will be free to those who have completed vaccinations. Eligible people are expected to be able to obtain a vaccine passport through a mobile application. Those without smartphones will have the option of using a printed paper version of the vaccine passport, the developer said.
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