"Health passport“: Two words that, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have come to know. But if until a few weeks ago it was a hypothesis and nothing more, fromarrival of the first vaccines the idea took on a greater concreteness. So much so that now everyone is talking about it: airlines, governments and even regional governors.
Zaia talks about the health passport
To date, it is still unknown whether a health passport will be issued. And if the vaccination certificate will therefore be a "pass", to travel abroad and to carry out a whole series of other actions. What is certain, however, is that it is talked about. And a lot too. Luca Zaia, governor of the Veneto Region, spoke on the matter in recent days: «We had a pre-adhesion to the vaccine of 90%. But I think the time is now ripe for a health passport. Airlines have started saying they want passengers with the vaccine guarantee, but soon accommodation facilities, congress spaces and so on will begin to ask for it. In Veneto, of course, we will be able to act quickly "he said, explaining how his region was the only one to establish aupdated and digitized vaccination analysis.
The position of Deputy Minister Sileri
Il Deputy Minister of Health Pierapaolo Sileri confirmed it: a health passport may be required in the future for the performance of various activities. However, Italy is waiting to know the position of the European Commission and the WHO, now working on a possible digital international certificate. Because, if to date, after the vaccine, the person obtains a normal certificate of vaccination, from there to the health passport there is still a long way to go.
The medical passport for traveling
When it comes to health passport, it is inevitable to talk about travel. In recent days, several airlines (from Qantas to Delta Air) have announced their will: allow boarding only to vaccinated passengers. The question, however, is complex: it is necessary for carriers to find a balance between earnings and security and it is essential that there is a homogeneous line. This line would be represented precisely by the digital health passport.
The CommonPass and the Travel Pass
Four projects are currently under study, all based on the use of an app. The user downloads it on the smartphone, enters his health data, and here is that the center where the vaccine was performed (or the swab, according to the projects currently being examined) can enter the certificate or the result. To the commonpass United Airlines, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and the Airport International Council have joined. The Travel pass of the IATA, on the other hand, aims to launch a certification system that is common to all countries. And to provide the traveler with an immediate tool to know the health situation of the country of destination and its rules in terms of entrances.
The Digital Health Pass and the AOKpass
The other two projects being tested are the Digital Health Pass andAOKpass. The first, developed by IBM, aims to be a tool available to airlines but also to stadiums, theaters & co; the second, created by the International Chamber of Commerce, International Sos and Sgs Group, is a sort of digital medical record that only the recipient can consult and show to the flight authorities. However, the problem remains privacy: how will it be guaranteed? This is perhaps the main problem to be solved, before the digital passport becomes reality.
