- On April 1, 2021, South Korea announced that it would integrate the ledger Blockchain technology to stop counterfeit vaccine passports.
- The South Korean government will officially launch the mobile app “Green Pass” for citizens and international travelers to digitally prove their vaccinated status.
- Like South Korea, many countries, including China, Israel, Brazil, Singapore, and EU countries, have either already rolled out Blockchain-based vaccine passports or plan to implement them soon.
On April 1, 2021, South Korea announced that it is planning to integrate ledger blockchain technology for the COVID-19 documentation process. It is one of the major crypto developments during Coronavirus.
While issuing the statement, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-Kyun confirmed that this initiative is part of distributing “Green Pass” mobile apps to prove vaccinated citizens.
In this context, the main purpose of using Blockchain technology is to stop counterfeit vaccine passports. Also, international travelers can use the mobile app to validate their vaccination status through digital proofs. The South Korean authority will officially launch the app in April itself.
Introducing vaccine passports will only allow people who are vaccinated, and it will help in the overall recovery process from the impact of coronavirus.
South Korea’s Immunization Drive
South Korea has started its immunization drive against COVID-19 by rolling out a vaccination schedule for residents who are more than 75 years.
The vaccination drive is a joint effort of Pfizer and BioNTech. Over 86 percent of the 3.5 million South Korean populations in that age group are planning to get the shot.
The government issued nearly 877,000 first vaccine doses on March 31, 2021, as reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Simultaneously, the government has developed plans to use Blockchain technology to validate vaccine passports for vaccinated citizens. This technology will ensure that citizens cannot forge evidence of receiving a vaccine dose.
The Controversy around Vaccine Passports
There have been controversies that are buzzing in different parts of the world about adopting vaccine passports.
Although countries like China and a few others are already planning to introduce vaccination certificates, several countries face stern opposition against rolling out the concept. The United Kingdom is still politically divided about the pros and cons of implementing vaccine passports.
Regardless of the final decision that the UK takes regarding vaccine passports, the country has already recognized the significance of using Blockchain technology to manage the complex vaccination process.
Not just South Korea, other countries are also targeting overseas travelers to provide their digital evidence of vaccination using a mobile app before entering a country.
Will Other Nations Follow South Korea’s Footsteps?
It looks like that many countries are following the suit of South Korea to adopt vaccine passports. For instance, countries in the European Union and Israel already rolled out a solution or have started to build certification to allow cross-border movement for immunized individuals.
Brazil is also set to implement plans in September this year by blockchain technology to track vaccinations. On the other hand, Singapore has also developed a blockchain-based solution for interoperable health documents, like coronavirus test results to allow cross-border travel.
Recently, New York implemented the “Excelsior Pass,” which is a mobile app similar to South Korea’s Green Pass. The app uses IBM Corp.’s digital health pass technology to validate vaccination. Users only need to scan a QR code on their cell phones to prove their vaccination status digitally.
