March 24, 2021

WILMINGTON, NC—Proving your COVID-19 vaccination status may be one of the easiest ways to return to school, clinical rotations, and everyday life. But what happens to the millions of Americans who can’t receive the vaccine? To those with underlying medical complications or closely held religious and philosophical beliefs who are unable to be vaccinated.

To help these students, faculty and staff safely and responsibly communicate their status, CastleBranch has created the Real Vaccination ID COVID-19 Waiver Card, a driver’s license–sized card that provides validated physical and digital proof of an individual’s legally permissible waiver status. The offering builds upon the company’s previous release of the Real Vaccination ID COVID-19 Vaccination Card, which helps individuals prove their COVID-19 vaccination status.

According to a study printed in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, more than 1.6% of the United States population, or over 5.23 million individuals, have reported a prior anaphylactic reaction, which can include a potentially life–threatening response to medication such as vaccines. For these cases, and many like them, all 50 states in the U.S. recognize the need to grant a medical waiver to protect those with underlying conditions in certain education and employment sectors. Likewise, 47 states recognize religious waivers, while 18 states permit exemptions for personal or philosophical beliefs. But with each state operating under its own set of regulations, it becomes increasingly difficult for individuals and organizations to understand their rights, responsibilities, and legal paths forward.

CastleBranch’s Real Vaccination ID COVID-19 Waiver Card was designed to help colleges and universities navigate this complex landscape, enabling them to take the appropriate safety precautions when providing the cardholder with access to school facilities, clinical rotations and resources.

To obtain a waiver card, students, faculty and staff will be asked to provide documentation to prove their legally permissible waiver request. Once validated, a card featuring highly sophisticated anti-fraud technology will be issued to the individual that includes their name, address, date of birth, physical identifiers, photo, and a QR code. Using the QR code on the back of the card, along with a unique access code and PIN number, third parties presented with this information can access digital copies of primary–source waiver documentation to confirm status. However, it is completely up to the cardholder when and with whom this data is shared. Private data gathered for the Real Vaccination ID cards will never be shared or collected in a database and distributed to third parties by CastleBranch, ensuring a “Nothing About Me Without Me™” approach that empowers individuals to maintain control of their own digital information and identity.

CastleBranch is a nationally accredited consumer reporting agency with 20+ years of experience and one of the leading providers of vaccination and immunization tracking in the United States. The company has tracked, reviewed, and/or stored over 35 million medical documents—including complex vaccination and waiver documentation—for a majority of healthcare education programs in every state across the nation. CastleBranch’s trusted review services are currently used to gain entry to highly secure operating rooms, healthcare facilities and nearly every hospital in the country. As a consumer reporting agency, CastleBranch handles all sensitive medical documents while maintaining compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, FCRA, GDPR, CCPA and other relevant state and federal privacy regulations.

“For too long, personal and medical data has been hijacked and monetized by big tech and other private and public entities using it for corporate gain as opposed to bettering the lives of the individual. We believe individuals — not corporations, governments, or search engines — should control their own identities, their own data, and their own destinies,” said Martin. “Our Real Vaccination ID vaccination and waiver cards give people the power to declare their COVID-19 status without compromising their rights, autonomy or personhood.”

For more information on Real Vaccination ID cards, visit www.RealVaccinationID.com.