Apple & Google Stepping In Where Michigan Lawmakers Failed With Vaccine Passports
While many states have enabled some type of vaccine passport system, the Michigan legislature has failed to implement a quick and easy way for Michiganders to identify their vaccination status.
This has put the onus onto private businesses to come up with their own way to enforce their Covid mitigation strategies.
While the state's health department has implemented an immunization database, it's far clunkier to use than the quick and easy app options states like New York, Virginia, and others have implemented.
Now Apple has announced that anyone with an iPhone will soon be able to use their Apple Wallet to store vaccination data and Covid testing data provided by health providers.
- Any organization that issues SMART Health Cards will have access to a new button that instructs users on how to download and store their COVID-19 vaccine data.
- Several states are using SMART Health Cards created by the Vaccination Credential Initiative, a group of health and tech companies including Epic, Cerner, Mayo Clinic and Apple.
- Current iPhone users can store COVID-19 test results to their Apple Wallet if they updated their software to iOS 15, released Sept. 20.
- Hospitals can send patients a QR code to scan with their iPhone and the data will be imported to their Health App. Users can also import records into the Health App through a downloadable file.
Google currently allows selected users to securely store vaccine and Covid test information within their phones. It is unknown at this time if the feature will expand beyond the government and healthcare providers or authorized third parties it is currently available to. But with Apple's announcement, you could probably expect this feature to be open to the general public soon.
Soon small businesses in Michigan won't be left to the political wrangling of out-of-touch politicians, and can decide how they feel safest serving their customers.