Vaccine passports are a hot topic around the world as people debate whether it’s necessary, ethical, or even safe to use them. However, some venues, states, and countries welcome the technology, if only to overcome the impact of COVID-19.

So, it’s important to understand vaccine passports as much as possible. To help with the situation, we answer the most burning questions around, regarding what this digital certificate is and whether it’s a security risk.

Why Do We Need Vaccine Passports?

Vaccine passports existed before the current pandemic, just in a simpler form. For example, you needed one when traveling to and from a country with a dangerous disease, so you could prove that you were inoculated and safe from infection.

The plan now is to give vaccine passports a high-tech makeover and a more prominent role concerning COVID-19. Some argue that we need this for security and peace of mind, both of which can get society and the economy moving again. Let’s break the matter down further.

Related: What Is a Vaccine Passport and How Does One Work?

Essentially, the more people are immune, either through vaccination or recent infection, the less the virus spreads. A vaccine passport makes it easy for everyone to prove that they’re safe to be around (albeit solely through vaccination, not through natural immunity), putting other people, not to mention businesses, at ease.

As a result, venues, events, workplaces, airplanes, and other social environments become safer and more comfortable. The hope is that life can return to a kind of normality, and the economy can slowly heal.

In addition to helping your community open up again, vaccine passports are an easy way to access your medical records when you need them. It's a multifunctional technological solution to the pandemic.

Are Vaccine Passports a Risk?

There are as many risks to using vaccine passports as there are benefits. And it’s not just about the online dangers of digital certificates—privacy and ethics come into question, too

How Secure Are Vaccine Passports?

Let’s start with the good news.

A review of blockchain use for COVID-19, published in Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, confirms that the collection and transfer of medical data is at its safest and most efficient, thanks to technologies like Distributed Ledger Ttechnology (DLT) and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Moreover, your personal details are locked behind security measures that only you and authorized parties can get through. Users across China, Switzerland, the UK, and the US happily use their apps to fly, work, and go about their daily lives without a hitch.

Related: What Is Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)?

This doesn’t mean that dangers aren’t there, however. The development of vaccine passports in the form of apps was hasty, and there are still flaws in their design and application.

Up until now, there have been missing vaccination details, like location and batch number. Accounts aren’t always checked for accuracy either, which means you could provide false information or edit official documents without anyone noticing.

Then there’s the risk of hacking. Vaccine passports are full of personal details and so a tempting target. The companies creating and running the apps can also be a liability without proper cybersecurity in place.

How Private and Ethical Are Vaccine Passports?

Another problem with vaccine passports is that they’re not exactly private. The apps connect to your medical records, some of which you’d have to present to people before entering buildings or events.

Healthcare and governing bodies could also access this information when the need arises. Your consent is essential, of course, but this kind of surveillance strains any sense of security even more. It also branches into the question of ethics.

Related: Smart Health Card vs. Digital Vaccination Passport: What's the Big Difference?

A 2021 experiment, published in the Yale Law Journal, gathered over 3,000 Americans, revealed the fact that vaccine passports are nothing new, and assessed whether people became less reluctant towards the vaccine and passport.

While the response was mostly positive, the ethical fears that came up were just as interesting. Unfortunately, issues like discrimination and violation of fundamental rights, including privacy, are problems existing users do flag up from time to time.

On the other hand, not all users have a bad experience with their app or expect its design to be perfect from the get-go.

At the end of the day, vaccine passports in their current condition are a calculated risk, but one that some argue will help control the spread of COVID-19 and stabilize communities the virus has crippled.

Could Vaccine Passports Become a Risk?

In all likelihood, vaccine passports will become less of a security risk as their design evolves to keep you happy and safe. User feedback comes in handy here, so the more people put their apps into action, the better developers can understand what they should work on.

Designing Mobile App With User Goals

As far as privacy is concerned, authorities, employers, and doormen would still need access to your records, but the process could become more discreet and permissions stricter to protect users’ civil rights.

Pressure is indeed high for vaccine passports to respect people’s boundaries. An article on JAMA explains that the apps’ developers, whether public or private, would have to comply with legal and ethical conditions for the scheme to succeed.

The downside is that as security goes up, so too does the cleverness of hackers and scammers. The future risks of vaccine passports depend on their cybersecurity, but also how careful you are. You’d need to do your part to avoid falling victim to COVID-19 scams.

Are Vaccine Passports Worth Using Despite the Risks?

Vaccine passports are turning into quite useful apps. On a social level, they’re a way to make sure your activities and interactions are as safe as possible from COVID-19 infection.

On a personal level, they offer quick insights into your medical data, as well as easily accessible proof of your inoculation from the virus.

For now, vaccine passports are quite safe and efficient, but they have plenty of room for improvement. In time, however, they should become much more secure, legal, and ethical.

Related: How to Use iPhone Face ID With a Mask: 4 Tips

Cyber threats and malpractice will continue to loom, but authorities are going to great lengths to counter such problems.

Ultimately, their quality constantly grows, making their benefits more and more worth the risk.

How Crises Affect Industries

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, affecting both people and industries. The path to recovery is long and complex, but vaccine passports could be a promising part of the solution. While the technology does come with security risks, it deserves refinement.

Growing your understanding of supply chains, economics, and what can block their progress helps make sense of everything. Pay close attention to the technologies that can clear the way forward and how they might affect your life.