How US companies could use patients’ data from Covid vaccine drive

Privacy advocates warn retail pharmacies in particular are blurring the line between public health and commerce

Data rights organizations have warned that patients lack a clear understanding of how information about their health, employment, contact or location details may be used if it is collected by private entities during the Covid-19 vaccine drive.

Some advocates have already expressed concerns that the information could be used for marketing, targeted advertising or de-identified and sold into the multibillion-dollar health data industry.