A vaccine record app, which extends beyond the COVI-19 shots to include the multitude of vaccinations that children and travellers are obligated to have, has been developed by a South African company.
Handwritten cards have been a constant in our lives forever, starting in childhood. New mothers have until now had to carefully file their babies’ regular inoculations, starting from the BGG at birth and extending right up to the MMR and reduced Diphtheria one at 12 years old. And the dog-eared, handwritten yellow vaccination cards – which go missing at the critical moment of departure – have been the bane of every African traveller.
These are now contained in South African-developed Vaccine App, an official digital vaccine card replacing all paper counterparts globally.
The App is designed for health practitioners as well as for patients. The company says in a statement:
COVID-19 has highlighted how important it is to have accurate immunisation records from childhood to end of life. Vaccines are given on a schedule and the doses are timed so the vaccine can effectively protect patients from preventable diseases. Children, pregnant women, the over 65-year-olds and those with comorbidities, are among the most vulnerable groups. Currently there is no effective solution to accurately record this information.
The Vaccine App, which is downloadable from Google Apps or the App Store, is designed to help health practitioners easily access and manage patients’ digital vaccine records from their computers.
Once the clinic and healthcare worker are registered and validated it is easy to update immunisations on the Vaccine App for patients who have also downloaded the app. There are two components to this process: the patient app and the healthcare provider software.
The healthcare practitioner will apply to register under an institution, practice or clinic and be validated by the Vaccine App team. The medical professional will then access the app via a link to the website and login with their password once validated. Then it’s a case of searching for specific patients or loading them then and there. Select the vaccine, batch number and expiry date, and their app will be updated.
Patients simply download the app and register, and if necessary, can add a whole family of children. They can see the relevant vaccine schedule, whether government recommended or private medicine. Once vaccinated, the app will update their digital record with the vaccine, batch number and expiry date and the health practitioner’s signature – providing them with an official digital record of their vaccines. If they ever need a paper proof they can simply print out a pdf.
The convenience of digital capturing of vaccination records and data is expected to improve efficiencies in clinics, for health practitioners generally, and for patients, and revolutionise the tracking of immunisations. Institutions, practices and clinics which register and are validated by Vaccine App are also likely to increase patient flow, enjoy improved community coverage and better compliance.
For further information.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
SA’s digital vaccine certificate launched without fanfare
Health Minister: Vaccination card is ‘an incentive’ not a compulsory passport
Italy: No vaccination, no school law boosts immunisations
New regulations for employers on COVID-19 obligations in workplace