New York Schools Take Concrete Actions to Protect Students with Real Vaccination ID

WILMINGTON, N.C., Aug. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As COVID-19 cases fueled by the delta variant continue to rise across the country, colleges and universities are looking for responsible, reliable methods to safely welcome students back to campus. In New York State, many schools are taking matters into their own hands. Several colleges, including St. Joseph’s College, are now mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for all on-campus students enrolled in the 2021 fall semester, while signing with infectious disease screening company CastleBranch to help demonstrate vaccination or waiver status with Real Vaccination ID.

The mandate comes in response to New York State’s announcement that the SUNY and CUNY systems will require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for all students. The state’s Excelsior Pass helps to prove vaccination status with a digital solution and has been embraced by the state’s government. However, several large New York school systems recognized that it did not provide a path forward for students who qualify for legally permissible exemptions or accommodations, including for individuals with medical complications or closely held religious beliefs. The pass also fails to account for individuals who have received the vaccine outside the State of New York.

To help implement a vaccine mandate, several NY-based schools, including St. Joseph’s College, have signed with Real Vaccination ID, which provides both physical and digital proof of an individual’s vaccination or waiver status regardless of residency, and keeps an individual’s personal, private and medical data safe from unauthorized disclosure.

A discreet card the size of a standard driver’s license, each card is paired with a QR code and unique access code that can be used, with permission of the cardholder, to electronically verify the individual’s identity, vaccination status, and view validated primary-source vaccination documents. For those who can’t receive the vaccine for medical or closely held religious beliefs, CastleBranch created the Real Vaccination ID Waiver card, which communicates vaccine exemption status using the same technology. The solution also creates a documented audit trail for organizations like St. Joseph’s, helping to protect it from potentially harmful litigation, and to comply with regulations such as HIPAA, FERPA, GDPR, CCPA, GINA, ADA and more.

CastleBranch, an infectious disease screening, compliance management, and nationally accredited consumer reporting agency, is one of the leading providers of vaccination and immunization tracking in the United States. With 25 years’ experience, the company has collected, reviewed, and/or stored over 35 million medical documents for a majority of healthcare education programs across the nation. Their solution has been endorsed by both the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the nation’s two largest nursing healthcare associations, representing over 80 percent of nursing education in the country.

“Real Vaccination ID provides organizations with the means to encourage the COVID-19 vaccine, while also providing a process for legally permissible exemptions when individuals can’t receive the vaccine,” said Brett Martin, CEO of CastleBranch. “By offering its students our cards, St. Joseph’s College of New York has shown tremendous compassion. They’ve taken important steps not just to protect their campus, but to protect their greater community from the threat of COVID-19.”

For more information visit RealVaccinationID.com.

About CastleBranch:
Located in Wilmington, N.C., CastleBranch is an infectious disease screening and compliance management company serving over 17,700 healthcare programs, tens of millions of individuals, and tens of thousands of employers, schools and healthcare facilities nationwide by verifying identity, tracking over 35 million medical documents, and helping individuals transition to and through professional life. CastleBranch has 25 years of experience, employs over 500 team members and has a long track record of providing innovative solutions for complex problems.

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SOURCE CastleBranch