Walmart is the latest company pushing for digital vaccine records as a way for people to prove they have received the COVID-19 vaccination.
As the US and the world move to reopen and return to normal, vaccinations are seen as the key ingredient to making that happen. Many experts believe, however, that a form of vaccination passport is necessary for people to be able to prove they have been vaccinated. Such a passport could be required for airline travel, crossing borders, entering crowded events and more.
Different companies and governments have already begun implementing their own solutions. Deutsche Telekom recently submitted a bid to develop a digital vaccine passport for the EU.
Walmart is the latest company to move in that direction, the largest US vaccination provider to yet do so. The company announced it is partnering with The Commons Project Foundation and CLEAR to make customers’ vaccination records available to them digitally as proof of their vaccination.
“Our goal is to give customers vaccinated at Walmart free and secure digital access to their vaccine record and enable them to share that information with third parties seeking to confirm their vaccination status,” said John Furner, CEO and President, Walmart U.S. “We are proud to be the first retailer to strategically partner with both The Commons Project Foundation and CLEAR, and we look forward to working with them to empower people with digital access to their vaccination records so they can use them whenever and however they choose.”
Given Walmart’s size and clout, it’s a safe bet their action will put pressure on other companies, not to mention the government, to follow suit.