ABSTRACT
Digital proof of vaccination or vaccine passports were a key strategy used by multiple countries to control the spread of COVID-19. They also were, however, a source of considerable controversy. Implementing vaccine passports created several public health, ethical, legal, and technology challenges. This chapter provides an overview of these challenges and a path forward for digital proof of vaccination in the inter-pandemic period and in advance of the next pandemic.
In January 2020, the World Health Organization announced that a novel infectious agent was causing an unusual respiratory illness in Wuhan, China. Vague stories of mass illness soon emerged from China. The world prepared for, but was unsure of, what was to follow. Eventually, cases spread to other countries. In March 2020, WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic.
