US Rules Out a Federal COVID Vaccine Passport

The White House announced that the US is not introducing a mandatory federal COVID vaccine passport. White House press secretary Jen Psaki clarified that there will be no “federal vaccination database”.

She said that “the government is not now, nor will be, supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential”. Psaki cleared that they are protecting the privacy and rights of Americans.

Countries are already developing vaccine passports. It is going to be used as a means to determine whether a person has been vaccinated against COVID19 or not. It is seen as a way to reopen businesses and to allow mass gatherings and travel.

England is currently developing a “Covid status certification” that will help allow concerns and sporting events to take place. This includes pertinent information from someone’s vaccine record to test results.

The European Union is also doing the same. Given the confusion that it could cause on borders, the EU wants to come up with a uniform certification system that can be used in member countries. And also, you have Israel introducing its Green Pass for those who already completed their vaccine.

COVID Vaccine Passports as the New Divide?

There is a divide when it comes to COVID vaccine passports. For instance, Texas and Florida released an executive order that bans a government-mandated vaccine passport. On the other hand, you have New York that developed its COVID vaccine passport powered by IBM’s blockchain technology.

The airline industry urges the US to develop uniform guidance for vaccine passports. The reason is that regional credentials could lead to confusion. The groups that urged the US included international airline trade organizations, airline labor unions, and the US Chamber of Commerce.

The World Health Organization announced that it doesn’t support requiring vaccination passports to be able to travel. WHO has good reasons for not supporting this idea. One is the uncertainty of whether inoculation can prevent transmission. Next, you have discrimination concerns.