Switzerland works on a digital vaccine certificate system
Global provider of secured authentication, SICPA, has been selected by the Swiss federal government to develop a vaccine certificate system for Swiss citizens
This marks a significant step forward in the rollout of national Covid certification systems, which are being actively considered by countries around the world, including the UK. It is expected that this system will be ready for deployment in Switzerland by the end of May.
Working in tandem with Swiss digital transformation specialists ELCA, and with the Swiss Federal Office for Telecommunications and Informatics (OFIT), the consortium will develop a uniform, forgery-proof and internationally compatible vaccine certification solution. This will enable Swiss citizens to receive a certificate verifying that they have either received a Covid vaccination, negative test or have Covid antibodies, in line with federal legislation recently passed in the country.
The system will be fully interoperable with solutions to be deployed by other countries, including the UK, as well as the World Health Organization’s expected ‘Smart Vaccination Certificate’ and the EU’s ‘Digital Green Certificate’.
Generating a forgery-proof QR code
This solution will link with Swiss health authorities to enable the holders to generate a forgery-proof QR code using SICPA technology containing the holder’s Covid status information. The QR code can be stored digitally on a smartphone or in a printed version – both with an equally high level of security – which can then be scanned, and the information verified by using a smartphone. The simplicity of the system is designed to help facilitate its adoption in Switzerland and internationally. SICPA’s QR code will be integrated into an existing ELCA app to enable its use by numerous stakeholders, notably health professionals, authorities responsible for health certificate verification, and Swiss citizens.
Philippe Amon, Chairman and CEO of SICPA, said: “Supporting Switzerland and its citizens in the current health crisis is a top priority. The cutting-edge solution we are proposing to the Swiss authorities with our partner ELCA is something that we can all be proud of and can serve as a model for Covid certification systems in other nations across the globe.”
The reliability and flexibility of the SICPA solution, together with the competences of the OFIT, is designed to help allow citizens to travel once again, to visit their families and friends, and to pursue leisure activities. It will allow citizens to return to a degree of normal life while maintaining confidence.