IBM has outlined how a blockchain-based digital health "passport" could allow society to reopen without the need to expose our private medical data.
After a year of lockdowns, millions of cases worldwide, and both social and economic devastation, COVID-19[1] continues to make its presence known. Thanks to the efforts of scientists, vaccination programs are underway. For many, this has created a glimmer of hope that some form of "normality" will eventually resume.
In the interim, however, a balance has to be made between safety and the risk of reopening economies, permitting travel, and allowing employees to return to their workplaces.
If COVID-19 is to be brought down to a manageable and socially acceptable level, a multi-faceted approach is required. Vaccines will not be a silver bullet and for some time to come, we may expect social distancing rules, travel quarantine, strict controls on mass gatherings, self-isolation requirements, and the usage of contract-tracing apps.
What are vaccine or health passports?
An idea that has been discussed in recent months is vaccine or health passports, which would prove your medical status in return for permission to once again attend mass gatherings, go to the office, visit entertainment venues, attend sports events, or travel abroad.
IBM Digital Health Pass
In an interview with ZDNet, Mark Davies, chief medical officer for Europe at IBM, and Anthony Day, IBM blockchain partner for the UK and Ireland, described the firm's Digital Health Pass[2] and overall efforts since March 2020 to expand the technology and utilize the blockchain to cater to demands caused by COVID-19, including the possible requirements of a health passport in the near future.
A health passport could take many forms including a paper record, a vaccine card, or an SMS message confirming a negative