Technology
Microchip implanted in your arm could track your Covid vaccine status with just a cell phone scan
A SWEDISH company is creating a microchip that could be presented as a way to confirm one has the Covid-19 vaccine.
The microchip technology startup called Epicenter is creating a microchip that will be implanted under a person’s skin and will rely on existing “near-field communication” (NFC) to send data regarding one’s vaccination status.
A microchip the size of a grain of rice can be implanted under your skin to help provide your vaccination status
According to a South China Morning Post tweet, the chip is implanted into your arm and can verify your vaccination status when placed next to an NFC.
“Imagine showing your COVID-19 passport with just a flash of your arm,” the video starts while showing a person holding out their arm and scanning it with a mobile phone.
It comes as health experts continue to highlight the success of the vaccine in battling the coronavirus pandemic and its effectiveness against the disease.
While the Omicron variant has recently led to a great surge in Covid cases, experts say a booster shot is the greatest move against ist spread.
They have also emphasized that while there are breakthrough cases, vaccinated people have a significantly smaller chance of becoming seriously ill or experiencing deadly symptoms.
The vaccine microchip suggested access NFC, such as those on smartphones, to show proof of vaccination, which is the same technology utilized by contactless card readers.
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“Implants are a very versatile technology that can be used for many different things,” says Epicenter’s Chief Disruption Officer Hannes Sjöblad in the video.
“Right now it is very convenient to have a COVID passport always accessible on your implant.”
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The microchip is the size of a grain of rice and can be embedded under a person’s skin under their arm or between their pointer finger and thumb.
The point of such chips is to eliminate the need to carry key fobs, identification cards, and business cards.
The chips instead will allow people to store that data in addition to passports and medical records.
Sjöblad apparently organized “transplant parties” in 2014 when his employees gathered in fun social settings and embedded chips into their arms.
The procedure is relatively quick and costs about $100.
However, the tweet was met with mixed reviews online, when people cried afoul of the unorthodox vaccine passport.
“This exactly why people don’t want to be vaccinated,” wrote one person on Twitter.
“I’m old enough to remember when this was a conspiracy theory,” joked another.
