Bar-codes, QR codes and Vaccine Vial Monitors in the context of COVID-19 vaccines

Overview

As vaccines, therapeutics and other health products for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 become available, they will be distributed in exceptional circumstances. Questions have been raised about the best approach to leverage technologies for automated product traceability and information sharing. For the purposes of this document, the discussion includes two-dimensional (2D) bar-codes, quick-response codes (QR codes) and serialization technology. It also includes references to Vaccine Vial Monitors (VVMs). The focus is on the context of COVID-19 vaccines and possibly other products distributed to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where significant scaling up and investment towards functional systems to use such technologies would be needed. There are issues of costs, usability, risks and benefits to consider, which may change over time. As such, this will remain a working document.