Bill Gates Funded Study in ‘Invisible Ink’ to Strengthen Vaccination Record Keeping

Fact checked
Bill Gates has invested millions of dollars in technology that embeds a "vaccination record" under the skin to allow health providers in developing countries keep track of a child’s vaccinations.

Bill Gates invested $1.44 million dollars in 2016 in technology that embeds a “vaccination record” under the skin to allow health providers in developing countries keep track of a child’s vaccinations.

According to an MIT paper entitled “Biocompatible near-infrared quantum dots delivered to the skin by microneedle patches to record vaccination,” scientists are seeking to address vaccine tracking challenges in developing countries by creating an invisible ink that could be injected into children alongside the vaccinations.

MedicalXpress.com reported on the news that MIT researchers “developed a novel way to record a patient’s vaccination history: storing the data in a pattern of dye, invisible to the naked eye, that is delivered under the skin at the same time as the vaccine.

In areas where paper vaccination cards are often lost or do not exist at all, and electronic databases are unheard of, this technology could enable the rapid and anonymous detection of patient vaccination history to ensure that every child is vaccinated,” says Kevin McHugh, a former MIT postdoc who is now an assistant professor of bioengineering at Rice University.

Update: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Bill Gates wanted to implement a “tag and trace” system to “scan US citizens.” This is incorrect. The invisible ink system would not monitor people’s habits or movements, and does not apply to Americans specifically. The false claims have therefore been retracted and the headline updated accordingly.

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry

Baxter Dmitry is a writer at The People's Voice. He covers politics, business and entertainment. Speaking truth to power since he learned to talk, Baxter has travelled in over 80 countries and won arguments in every single one. Live without fear.
Email: baxter@thepeoplesvoice.tv
Baxter Dmitry