VACCINE PASSPORTS

A glance at some of the digital health passes now available

As vaccinations are rolled out in many parts of the world, discussions continue about the possibility of having some kind of “vaccine passport” to prove that travellers are protected against COVID-19. The digital passports are likely to appear as apps on smartphones and will document the health status of travellers, keeping record of both vaccination and negative COVID-19 tests.

These would have to be recognised by individual governments to allow international travel.

Several companies and international bodies are currently suggesting a variety of technological solutions to document and verify travellers’ health status. Here, we round up the various “passports” on trial at the moment.

AOKpass

Who’s behind it? The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has collaborated with International SOS and the SGS Group to create this digital, secure and portable copy of medical records.

How does it work? Once individuals have medical results, they can enter the information into an app to create a pass. A unique code is generated and shown to the individual and their medical practitioner for them to verify the information. They will then be able to show the QR code for verification at airports.

Where is it available? Successful trials took place on flights last year between Abu Dhabi and Pakistan. Since then, Alitalia has begun a pilot scheme to digitise COVID-19 rapid antigen test results via the passport for flights from Rome to New York. Passengers travelling to Singapore from Indonesia and Malaysia can also use the pass to show their COVID-19 test results at dedicated immigration lanes at Changi airport. In January, Etihad Airways announced it would pilot the AOKpass on routes between Paris and Abu Dhabi. International SOS says the pass will be rolled out to other international travellers “in the coming months”.

Is my data secure? The AOKpass states that medical records are stored only on your device and will not be shared or stored elsewhere. The pass is verified without the need to show any personal or medical information and travellers can “choose when and where to share [their] information”. The information is secured using a “hashing algorithm so that it can’t be read by anyone else”.

CommonPass

Who’s behind it? The Commons Project has partnered with the World Economic Forum to launch this digital health passport.

How does it work? Lab results and vaccination records will be accessed through existing health data systems, national or local registries or personal digital health records such as Apple Health and CommonHealth. Individuals will need to consent to the information being used to validate their COVID-19 status. The technology will then assess whether the results and records come from a trusted source and if they satisfy the health screening requirements of the country they wish to enter. There will be a simple yes/no answer to whether the individual meets the entry criteria. Travellers will receive a unique confirmation code they can show at the airport to board the flight. CommonPass says those without a smartphone will be able to print off a confirmation code and show it at the airport.

Where is it available? The first trials were completed in October with Cathay Pacific between Hong Kong and Singapore and United Airlines between London and New York. Since then, carriers including Jetblue, Lufthansa, Swiss and Virgin Atlantic have trialled the technology.

Is my data secure? CommonPass states it won’t reveal “any other underlying personal health information” and that Apple

Health and CommonHealth allows individuals to “store their health records securely and privately on their phones, entirely under their control”.

Health Pass by Clear

Who’s behind it? Airport biometrics provider Clear has moved into the public health arena in the US, launching a Health Pass as part of its mobile app.

How does it work? This service is designed for businesses to keep employees and customers safe. First, users must add an ID and verify their identity with a selfie. They can then complete a real-time health survey and upload COVID-related lab results directly from an approved lab provider. Once at a participating location, users go to the Clear pod and undergo a temperature scan, and then show or scan their health pass (either by facial recognition or a QR code) to gain access to the location. The pod will show a red or green light to denote whether the user has passed or failed the screening. Where is it available? The Health Pass is being used by more than 35 organisations. Clear has also partnered with the likes of MGM Resorts and the 9/11 Museum in New York to use the app to screen its staff for the virus. Is my data secure? The specific answers to survey questions or any specific test results are not provided to third party partners or employers.

IATA Travel Pass

Who’s behind it? The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has designed a digital health pass that will support the safe reopening of borders.

How does it work? The mobile app contains information required by many authorities. The pass enables authorised labs and test centres to securely share test and vaccination certificates with passengers who can then create a digital passport and share testing or vaccination certificates with airlines and authorities to facilitate travel. In effect, the Travel Pass contains the information to verify if a passenger is eligible to undertake their travel journey.

Where is it available? IATA recently partnered with Etihad Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways to launch the Travel Pass for passengers. Etihad is offering guests the pass on selected flights from Abu Dhabi this quarter, and if successful, will roll it out across other destinations. Emirates will launch the pass for customers travelling from Dubai in April. Passengers will be able to share their COVID-19 test status directly with the airline before reaching the airport through the app. Qatar Airways will being trials of the app on its Doha-Istanbul route this month (March).

Is my data secure? IATA says the Travel Pass “will keep passengers in control of their data and facilitate the sharing of their tests with airlines and authorities for travel”.

VeriFLY

Who’s behind it? Private software company, Daon, which also works with some of the world’s leading banking and credit card companies, is behind this mobile travel health passport.

How does it work? The software allows people to combine travel verification documents and COVID-19 test results in one place, ensuring travellers are fully compliant with the entry requirements for their destination before leaving home. Certified customers are fast-tracked through the airport where specially designated desks are available for check in. VeriFLY can be downloaded to a customer’s mobile device from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store. After creating a secure profile, the platform prompts customers to confirm their flight information, upload details of a negative COVID-19 test result and any other essential documentation. The software confirms the test matches the country’s regulations with a simple ‘Pass’ or ‘Fail’ message. VeriFLY also reminds users once the credential has expired. Where is it available? American Airlines was the first airline to use VeriFLY on selected routes and has now expanded this to all destinations. Its oneworld partner, British Airways, has followed suit and started trialling the app on all of its US routes from Heathrow in February.

Is my data secure? Daon says user profiles are secure.

IBM Digital Health Pass

Who’s behind it? IBM Watson Health has designed a digital wallet product for smartphones.

How does it work? The product enables organisations to verify health credentials for employees, customers and visitors entering their site based on their own set of criteria. This might include COVID-19 test results, temperature scans and vaccine status. It aims to “bring people back to a physical location, such as a workplace, school, stadium or airline flight.”

Where is it available? At the moment, the National Institutes of Health ( part of the US Department of Health and Human Services) and Salesforce have signed on to trial the pass. Salesforce will provide individuals with “a verifiable and privacy-preserving way to manage and share their vaccination and health status in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic” via its Salesforce Work. com platform. Is my data secure? IBM says the encrypted digital wallet allows individuals to “control what they share, with whom and for what purpose”. The company adds that through the use of blockchain technology, the health pass can be “verified, trusted and tamperproof ”.

Scan2Fly

Who’s behind it? Air Asia has developed this digital health pass in partnership with analytics company GrayMatter.

How does it work? The app aims to streamline health document checks and determine eligibility to travel. Passengers are prompted to provide documents required by the destination country and then scan and upload medical certificates

when they check-in online. AirAsia then analyses the documents in real-time and approves or rejects the travel status.

Where is it available? The technology has already launched on routes from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Surabaya and Jakarta.

Is my data secure? GrayMatter states that its cloud-hosted system is “equipped with robust information security”.

The Mvine-iProov passport

Who’s behind it? Biometrics firm iProov has partnered with cyber security group Mvine to launch this passport, which is also backed by Innovate UK – a non-departmental public body funded by a grant from the UK government.

How does it work? This technology enables people to register a test result or vaccination status without disclosing their identity. The medical professional administering the vaccine creates the online certificate using a phone or tablet and then asks the user to add a selfie to their electronic certificate. This card-based method does not require a smartphone. Where is it available? It is currently being tested by NHS Directors of Public Health with two trials expected to be completed by March 31, 2021. Is my data secure? The certificate is completely anonymous and “does not need to include the name, address, a NHS number or any other identifying information about the person”. When the person wishes to present their certificate, they show a QR code and verify their face against the image attached to their online certificate using any device with the app. According to the providers, “an individual therefore cannot be verified without their knowledge and consent”.

Vaccination Credential Initiative (VCI)

Who’s behind it? A coalition of health and technology partners including Microsoft, Oracle and The Commons Project.

How does it work? It allows individuals to access to their vaccination records “in a secure, verifiable and privacy-preserving way”. The coalition is developing standards for organisations administering vaccines to make credentials available in an accessible, interoperable, digital format. Individuals will obtain an encrypted digital copy of their vaccination records to store in a digital wallet of their choice.