Microsoft is part of a coalition to help people have access to digital immunization records

Microsoft Logo at Ignite
Microsoft Logo at Ignite (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft is part of a coalition to help people have access to their immunization records.
  • The goal of the coalition is to provide people with an encrypted digital copy of their records.
  • Microsoft joins, Salesforce, Oracle, and several other major organizations in the coalition.

The goal is to provide people with an encrypted digital copy of their immunization records that can be stored in a digital wallet. If a person does not have a smartphone, they should be able to print out a piece of paper with a QR code which has W3C verifiable credentials.

"As the world begins to recover from the pandemic, having electronic access to vaccination, testing, and other medical records will be vital to resuming travel and more," says Mike Sicilia, executive vice president of Oracle's Global Business Units. Sicilia adds, "This process needs to be as easy as online banking. We are committed to working collectively with the technology and medical communities, as well as global governments, to ensure people will have secure access to this information where and when they need it."

VCI plans to work with open standards and to focus on interoperability, including tools like CommonPass and the interoperable SMART Health Cards specification.

Joan Harvey, president of care solutions at Evernorth, Cigna's health services business states, "A secure, convenient solution to verify COVID-19 vaccination will play an important role in accelerating a healthy and safe return to work, school and life in general."

The VCI has a new website that explains the purpose of the coalition along with other information.

Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.