Lumidigm Fingerprint Sensors Help Track Vaccination Histories of Children in Developing Countries

Lumidigm Fingerprint Sensors Help Track Vaccination Histories of Children in Developing Countries

  • Nov 12, 2013

Lumidigm announced that its multispectral imaging fingerprint sensors, as part of a solution supplied in partnership with Fulcrum Biometrics (San Antonio, Texas), are helping to stop vaccine waste for the millions of Africans not yet vaccinated.

Lumidigm Fingerprint Sensors Help Track Vaccination Histories of Children in Developing CountriesUntil now, the vaccine delivery system has been hampered by ineffective tracking and reporting and, consequently, millions of young children are not being vaccinated. An estimated 2.5 million born this year will die before the age of five. The delivery model in many parts of Africa depends on a multitude of healthcare workers who serve very large and remote areas. When there are no vaccination records to consult, many patients are re-immunized unnecessarily, others are simply missed and a finite supply of vaccine is wasted.

Unfortunately, without a proper and reliable means of identification, vaccine wastage rates are higher than 50 percent in some of the most challenging geographies. VaxTrac is solving this problem with a biometric vaccination registry that is operated and managed in the field with low-cost mobile devices. Adult and child patients are identified in the registry with fingerprint sensors from Lumidigm. Returning patients can pull up their vaccination records with the touch of a finger, allowing a healthcare worker to deliver appropriate care.

“With our VaxTrac system leveraging Lumidigm fingerprint sensors, we have been able to improve immunization tracking which allows us to reduce waste so that we can vaccinate more people and save lives,” asserted Mark Thomas, executive director of VaxTrac, a non-profit organization supported by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others. “We started evaluating Lumidigm sensors in 2012. Since the skin of children, especially young children, can be very malleable, we knew from experience that conventional biometric technologies that need a finger pressed against the device do not work. The ability that Lumidigm offers to pull fingerprint images from deeper layers produces images less susceptible to distortion and allows us to track vaccinations accurately.”

Multispectral imaging is a sophisticated technology specifically developed to overcome the fingerprint capture problems that conventional imaging systems have in less-than-ideal conditions. This more effective technology is based on the use of multiple spectrums of light and advanced optical techniques to extract unique fingerprint characteristics from both the surface and subsurface of the skin. That subsurface capability is important because the fingerprint ridges seen on the surface of the finger have their foundation beneath the surface of the skin, in the capillary beds and other sub-dermal structures.

“Being able to quickly read every patient’s fingerprints, no matter how problematic, in all types of conditions, from extremely dry to wet, is vital to this program,” emphasized Bill Spence, Lumidigm vice president of sales-North America, Europe and Australia. “Biometric authentication has reduced the waste of vaccine dramatically, helping so many more people get vaccinated.”

The biometric vaccine registry also enables real-time reporting for streamlined supply-chain management, further reducing waste.

The first in-country deployment of the Lumidigm fingerprint sensors was in March 2013. The units are now in Kenya, Uganda and Benin, with the largest deployment in 40 clinics throughout Zambia.

Community healthcare workers are trained to use the biometric vaccine delivery system. The simple, user-friendly system was especially developed for workers with limited literacy. With the biometric VaxTrac system, expensive, specialized training is not necessary for vaccine delivery in remote areas.  

“My favorite part is to see the shock on healthcare workers’ faces after their first scan of another person’s fingerprint,” Thomas added. “The patient is identified instantly, and all their vaccination information is available on the computer screen in an intuitive graphic interface. Workers know immediately what vaccines to administer and which doses are not needed, and may be reserved for other citizens.”

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.