Technological Implications of Vaccine Certificates and their Public Health Impact

During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine certificates were used worldwide to gate access to social events (i.e. restaurants, movie theatres, gyms, etc.), participate in recreational activities, and cross border travel. Vaccine certificates were criticized over concerns about data privacy, their ethical use, accessibility, and legal issues. Provincial and territorial approaches to vaccine certificates varied across Canada. This study will examine the impact and implications of vaccine certificates in Canada and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries from a technological, equity/ethics/legal and public health perspective. We will use the United Kingdom Royal Society framework for vaccine certificates which holistically captures the implications of these certificates in twelve points. This project will identify the best practices for vaccine certificates and we will create recommendations for Canadian public health leaders for best practices, gaps in information, and ways forward.