Researchers developing a fingerprint recognition solution to track infants’ vaccinations

A Michigan State University professor is working on a fingerprint recognition method to track the vaccination schedules of infants and toddlers, which will boost immunization coverage and ultimately save the lives of children in developing countries, according to a report by Michigan State University Today. In the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded study, Anil Jain and his team are hoping that the new tracking method it has developed will increase vaccination coverage of children in developing countries, where keeping track of a baby’s vaccine schedule on paper has been mostly ineffective. “Paper documents are easily lost or destroyed,” said Jain. “Our initial study has shown that fingerprints of infants and toddlers have great potential to accurately record immunizations. You can lose a paper document, but not your fingerprints.” The MSU researchers have been trialing an optical fingerprint reader at rural health facilities in Benin, West Africa, using the technology to scan the thumbs...