On May 19th, 2021 Canada's Federal, Provincial
and Territorial Privacy Commissioners (the
“Commissioners”) released a joint statement on the privacy
implications of COVID-19 vaccine passports. Vaccine passports may
offer substantial public benefits; however, in exchange for access
to these benefits, individuals will be required to disclose
personal health information. As a result, when considering the
development of a vaccine passport in Canada, the Commissioners
emphasize the importance of addressing privacy considerations from
the outset.
What is a Vaccine Passport?
‘Vaccine passports', digital or paper certificates
documenting individuals' vaccination status, have quickly
become a global topic amongst businesses, governments, and health
authorities as one method of facilitating a return to normalcy, or
at the very least, a way to help establish a new normal resembling
pre-pandemic life. While scientific information about COVID-19 is
rapidly advancing, there is
