Passengers may need vaccine passport to travel next year

28 Dec Passengers may need vaccine passport to travel next year

As the countries roll out coronavirus vaccines to curb the waves and different strains of the deadly virus, there are some projections that countries may require evidence of vaccination from travellers as the do now for evidence of negative tests.

Several companies and technology groups have begun developing smartphone apps or systems for individuals to upload details of their Covid-19 tests and vaccinations, creating digital credentials that could be shown in order to enter concert venues, stadiums, movie theaters, offices, or even countries.

According to CNN the Common Trust Network, an initiative by Geneva-based nonprofit, has been thinking along that line. 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.

The CommonPass app created by the group 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.

Connectivity is the apex of the future car experience, and automobile companies have begun to roll out the next generation of vehicles.

“You can be tested every time you cross a border. You cannot be vaccinated every time you cross a border,” Thomas Crampton, chief marketing and communications officer for The Commons Project, told CNN.

He stressed the need for a simple and easily transferable set of credentials, or a “digital yellow card,” referring to the paper document generally issued as proof of vaccination.

Large tech firms are also getting in on the act. IBM developed its own app, called Digital Health Pass, which allows companies and venues to customize indicators they would require for entry including coronavirus tests, temperature checks and vaccination records. Credentials corresponding to those indicators are then stored in a mobile wallet.

While the emphasis on vaccine passport may force many people, who are now reluctant to go for the jab, people in countries that may not be vaccinated soon will be disadvantaged. They will have to depend on repeated testing to travel.