US airlines call on the White House to standardize COVID-19 documents

Digital health or vaccine passports have become a hot topic in recent months, as some countries have indicated that they'll mandate vaccine requirements.

Some airlines have already embraced travel passports, and several have been rolled out or are in development. For instance, American Airlines and British Airways are currently using VeriFLY. Delta and United flyers traveling nonstop from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL) can use Clear’s Health Pass feature.

But the travel industry is calling on the White House to standardize health documents like vaccine and negative COVID-19 test status.

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“It is crucial to establish uniform guidance for (COVID-19 health credentials), according to a joint statement from Airlines 4 America, the U.S. Travel Association and other groups.

"Global efforts to create CHCs are already underway, and while we understand and support the critical need for an internationally harmonized approach, the U.S. must be a leader in this development."

According to the Associated Press, the travel industry wants the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to lead the project. The European Union is also working on a digital health passport.

Currently, the only way to confirm vaccine status is a paper card from the CDC. Getting COVID-19 test results for travel is a little easier as many facilities put them online, but we’re not yet close to a standardized system used worldwide.

There's also little stopping someone from forging these documents.

Authorities at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) told Reuters that they identify a “reasonable number” of fake COVID-19 test results per day. And several people were arrested in France last November and accused of offering fake test results at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).