Apple will soon roll out COVID vaccination cards in its Wallet app, allowing people to demonstrate proof of vaccination through their iPhones and Apple Watches.
The vaccination cards could be used by businesses or venues as a form of verification, similar to how you pull up credit cards or metro cards in the Wallet app.
With the launch of iOS 15 on Monday, users can link and store COVID-19 vaccination and test result records in the Health app. Apple has not publicly announced when the Wallet integration will be rolled out, but it will be included in an upcoming software update for iOS 15.
What will it look like?
With iOS 15, users who link their COVID vaccination cards into the Health app should see a screen with the following information: which medical provider administered the vaccine, which vaccine they received and what dates they received each dose.
With the Wallet integration, users will see a prompt to “Add to Wallet and Health” pop up.
Once added, users can pull up a digital card in their Wallet with the vaccine information and a QR code, which merchants can scan for confirmation on their device. The confirmation will briefly show up on the merchant’s device but will not be stored on the device permanently.
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How is it verified?
Verifying your medical records isn’t as easy as taking a photo of your vaccination card. Apple has three different ways of showing verifiable proof of COVID vaccinations.
Users can upload these records with a QR code sent by their provider, a downloadable file sent by their provider, or through a connected healthcare institution using Health Records on iPhone. They can add them to the Health app in iOS 15, and also as a vaccination card in Apple Wallet with an upcoming software update.
A number of issuers use a framework compatible with Apple to provide verified vaccination records, including the states of California, Hawaii, Louisiana, New York and Virginia, as well as some retail pharmacies and electronic health records vendors.
What about privacy and security concerns?
When a user presents a vaccination card in Wallet, the full details of the vaccination card will not be visible until the user has unlocked their iPhone with Face ID, Touch ID or their passcode.
Third party apps will have access to the data if users want to share verifiable immunizations and lab results.
Approved third-party apps are subject to restrictions and strict encryption practices. Developers on third party apps are prohibited from using data for advertising or selling it, and they must provide a privacy policy and an option for users to request deletion of their data, according to Apple policy. Also, the data is shared on a one-time basis.
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Michelle Shen is a Money & Tech Digital Reporter for USATODAY. You can reach her @michelle_shen10 on Twitter.
