Apple and Google had the (free) solution last April. Authorities are just now getting around to using it.
From Bloomberg’s “Los Angeles Vaccine Recipients Can Put the Proof in Apple Wallet” posted Monday:
Covid-19 vaccine recipients in Los Angeles County, a major virus hot spot, will be offered a digital record that will help ensure they get a second shot and could, eventually, be used to gain access to concert venues or airline flights.
The offering is being provided starting this week through a partnership with the startup Healthvana. It’s initially geared toward ensuring people receive both doses of the two-shot regimens that have been authorized in the U.S., including through follow-up notifications before a second appointment.
It will also give recipients a way to verify they have been vaccinated, which they can put into an Apple Wallet or competing Google platform “to prove to airlines, to prove to schools, to prove to whoever needs it,” said Healthvana Chief Executive Officer Ramin Bastani.
My take: I’ve been wondering when someone would figure this out. You’d think identifying vaccine recipients would be high-priority item.
See also: Apple-Google contact-tracing app, due Friday, faces resistance in U.S.
From: December 27, PED30: apple-zoom-horace-dediu-invite
Alan Birnbaum said:
“Also, a vaccine “passport” in Apple wallet might be very useful (with your driver’s license , insurance cards, etc).”
Great minds think alike, nice call Alan!
Better to wait for science to confirm or deny before letting your guard down and killing someone’s grandmother.
Date of vaccination can be helpful to determine how much immunity someone may have built up afterwards. The earlier the better.
Having said that, there has been speculation that because Covid virus preferentially attaches to & attacks respiratory tract cells, concerns exist about vaccinated people who might encounter a high viral load environment (say working w/known Covid+ patients or being in a Covid heavy space w/o mask or protection) & loading into one’s respiratory tract. Then how long would it take that person to clear that inoculation – hours, a few days, etc? During the time after heavy exposure, could they theoretically still be a “carrier” or be infective to others if not masked or otherwise cautious?
CDC, FDA caution that vaccination during pandemic is still not a reason to abandon proper hygiene, masking, social distancing & reasonable isolation. Herd immunity will not occur for many many months either.
They never formally tested one dose but if you look at the chart that is provided – Pfizer – p 58 https://www.fda.gov/media/144246/download and Moderna p. 28 https://www.fda.gov/media/144434/download you will see an amazing flat response. The Moderna chart at the bottom of page 28 shows an efficacy from week 2-4 of 92% and overall 93.4% for those that got 2 doses. A really surprising finding.
I agree that these studies did not test for asymptomatic disease.
The concept of immunity passport splits the country roughly 50/50 but not along political lines.
Data presented here – https://www.vumedi.com/video/immunity-passports-for-covid-19-what-are-the-concerns-does-the-public-approve-it/?token=9c92750c-ae6e-41a9-9b79-bf70005ea711&utm_source=Pharma%20Low%20Priority_72208&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=%2812/23%29%20Immunity%20Passports%20for%20COVID-19%3A%20What%20Are%20the%20Concerns%3F%20Does%20the%20Public%20Approve%20It%3F&utm_content=Immunity%20Passports%20for%20COVID-19%3A%20What%20Are%20the%20Concerns%3F%20Does%20the%20Public%20Approve%20It%3F&utm_term=COVID-19%20Prevention&link_data=eyJidWxrX21haWxfYWN0aW9uIjoiYyIsInJlY2lwaWVudF9pZCI6MTAyNDczODY1NCwibWFpbF9pZCI6NzIyMDh9%3A1ktwJv%3AagTDK820M3DKKCmuBeLAdhYZBrU&mail_id=72208
A very complex public health and immunologic problem, done in compressed real time.
Or not give a shit, like a huge percentage of the US population.