The Vaccine Passport is not the traditional booklet that has been used for international travel. Instead, it is a proposed health certificate certifying that a person has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, which could facilitate entry into a foreign country after a pandemic.

Travel trade associations and high-tech companies are developing new certificate systems for vaccinated individuals. Some airlines and other travel industry players have already voiced support for such a system, which they hope will improve business during the upcoming summer season.

Several initiatives are underway for such a so-called vaccine passport. The International Air Transport Association's program is called Travel Pass, and IBM's program is called Digital Health Pass.

American Airlines and British Airways have also introduced a free program called VeriFLY, which is already being tested. At this time, no airline requires a vaccine passport, but in the testing phase, proof of vaccination may mean more lax quarantine and inspection protocols for cross-border travel.

One wonders if vaccination status will affect your next trip. Here is what you need to know about vaccine passports and how they may (or may not) be relevant for international travel.

Several different vaccine passports have been developed, but all serve more or less the same role. Persons with proof of vaccination may be subject to different customs protocols, such as bypassing coronavirus testing, having a shorter quarantine period, or no quarantine period at all.

The purpose of the Vaccine Passport is to streamline the international travel process because of increased travel in the summer when all U.S. adults should be able to be vaccinated.

Vaccine passports may also be encouraged in situations other than travel. For example, Israel has created a "green passport" that allows vaccinated individuals to attend large gatherings in public places, such as concerts and sporting events.

Vaccine passports could take several forms. The VeriFLY Passport, currently being tested, is a smartphone app for iOS and Android. For some destinations, the VeriFLY app can be used to report a negative COVID-19 test result and fill out travel documents to expedite check-in at the airport.

The IATA Travel Pass is also an app. According to the proposal, Travel Pass would allow passengers to set up a digital passport that verifies that their tests/immunizations meet the regulations of a particular country or region.

IBM's digital health passport is a bit more ambitious. Designed for large events and professional environments as well as travel, the Digital Health Passport requires that certificates be uploaded by cell phone. These certificates are reviewed by a verification organization. Once approved, the Digital Health Passport is added to the smartphone wallet.

Not all vaccine passports will be digital. Paper passports could make travel easier for people who are not smartphone-savvy. They are also less likely to be exposed to health information in a data breach. However, paper passports are more likely to be lost or forged.

Vaccine passports are not currently required when crossing borders. Other travel restrictions are in place due to the ongoing pandemic.

The vaccine passport plan is intended to support the expected surge in travel once more people around the world are vaccinated and travel restrictions are relaxed. This would make it more difficult to require proof of vaccination on a global scale. There are already concerns about vaccine passport confusion between multiple types of passports and various travel rules.

And this is before considering the complexity of vaccine distribution. In the U.S., people are not forced to be vaccinated, and many may refuse to be vaccinated due to personal or religious beliefs. In some countries, it will be some time before vaccines are readily available to those who want or need them.

Therefore, it is unlikely that vaccine passports will be needed on a global scale anytime soon. Vaccine passports are more likely to be an option to be added to travel documents to facilitate arrival in different countries, such as the U.S. Global Entry Program.

It will be some time before the Vaccine Passport is standardized. While the idea of an international health certificate may be appealing to those who wish to make pandemics a thing of the past, implementing the tools and regulations for a vaccine passport system will not be easy.

Currently, there are apps and forms that allow travelers to verify that their test results for coronavirus are negative, but they are still required to enter certain places. It is possible, if not mandatory, that similar vaccination status verification programs will be offered by airlines and event venues in the near future.