The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced that it will not enforce penalties on health care providers for not following certain HIPAA rules when using online scheduling applications for COVID-19 vaccinations. This leniency is because of the urgent need to schedule many vaccination appointments during the pandemic. These online tools, called Web-Based Scheduling Applications (WBSAs), are used in good faith to protect privacy, but HHS encourages implementing safety measures like encryption and data protection. This policy only applies during the COVID-19 public health emergency and is specific to scheduling vaccinations, not other medical activities.
Simple Explanation
The government is saying it's okay for doctors to use online tools to help people book their COVID-19 vaccine shots without following all the normal privacy rules, just to make sure everyone gets vaccinated quickly. But they still want these doctors to keep our information safe, like using secret codes to protect it.