[Paper Review] Mobile Apps Prioritizing Privacy, Efficiency and Equity: A Decentralized Approach to COVID-19 Vaccination Coordination

Joseph Bae, Rohan Sukumaran+9 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Feb 9, 2021

COVID-19 Digital Contact Tracing1 references4 citations

TL;DR

This paper proposes a decentralized, mobile app-based system for COVID-19 vaccination coordination that prioritizes privacy, equity, and efficiency through zero-knowledge verification, dynamic scheduling, and anonymous symptom reporting. The app enables individual-centric, privacy-preserving management of vaccination eligibility, dosing, verification, and long-term safety monitoring, with interoperability to centralized systems like VAMS and VAERS, offering a scalable, user-focused alternative to centralized PII-heavy platforms.

ABSTRACT

In this early draft, we describe a decentralized, app-based approach to COVID-19 vaccine distribution that facilitates zero knowledge verification, dynamic vaccine scheduling, continuous symptoms reporting, access to aggregate analytics based on population trends and more. To ensure equity, our solution is developed to work with limited internet access as well. In addition, we describe the six critical functions that we believe last mile vaccination management platforms must perform, examine existing vaccine management systems, and present a model for privacy-focused, individual-centric solutions.

Motivation & Objective

• To address critical challenges in equitable, efficient, and private last-mile vaccine distribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To design a mobile app that consolidates six core functions of vaccine management—eligibility verification, scheduling, second-dose coordination, verification, safety monitoring, and trust-building—into a single, user-centric platform.
• To ensure privacy preservation by eliminating centralized storage of personal identifiable information (PII), using decentralized, client-side data handling.
• To support low-resource and low-connectivity environments through a companion card-based system (SafePaths) for offline functionality.
• To enable interoperability with existing centralized systems like VAMS and VAERS while maintaining user privacy and data ownership.

Proposed method

• The app uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify vaccination eligibility without revealing underlying personal data, ensuring privacy-preserving authentication.
• It enables dynamic, individualized vaccine scheduling with reminders and coordination for second doses, ensuring adherence to manufacturer-specific protocols.
• Users are prompted to report symptoms and health outcomes in real time, with data stored locally and shared only in anonymized, aggregate form for public health analytics.
• The system supports user data deletion at any time, reinforcing privacy and user control over personal information.
• A companion card-based system (SafePaths) is proposed for users without smartphones or reliable internet, enabling offline verification and data recording.
• The app is designed to be interoperable with centralized platforms like VAMS and VAERS, allowing data exchange while preserving privacy through decentralized architecture.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 How can a decentralized mobile app system ensure privacy while enabling secure, efficient, and equitable vaccine distribution?
• RQ2 What technical and design features are necessary to support the six core functions of vaccine management—eligibility, scheduling, dosing, verification, safety monitoring, and trust—within a single, user-centric platform?
• RQ3 How can privacy-preserving, decentralized systems be made interoperable with existing centralized vaccine administration and reporting systems like VAMS and VAERS?
• RQ4 What mechanisms can effectively incentivize user engagement and data reporting in a privacy-focused, decentralized health app?
• RQ5 How can such a system be adapted for low-resource and low-connectivity environments without compromising privacy or functionality?

Key findings

• The proposed app-based system consolidates all six critical functions of vaccine management into a single, privacy-preserving platform, significantly improving user experience and engagement.
• By using zero-knowledge verification and local data storage, the system minimizes privacy risks and eliminates the threat of large-scale data breaches common in centralized systems.
• The app enables continuous, anonymous symptom and side effect reporting, supporting longitudinal health monitoring without compromising individual privacy.
• The SafePaths card-based extension allows for offline, privacy-preserving vaccine coordination in low-connectivity and low-resource settings, enhancing equity.
• Interoperability with centralized systems like VAMS and VAERS is achievable without compromising privacy, enabling data sharing for public health insights while preserving user data ownership.
• The open-source nature of the solution enhances transparency and trust, supporting broader adoption among privacy-conscious populations, including undocumented immigrants and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.