Vaccine Passports: What We Know and What
to Consider
Around the country and
in parts of the world, COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue to grow,
leaving people wondering about vaccine requirements and ways to certify
vaccine status. “Vaccine passports,” a paper or digital form certifying
that a person has been vaccinated, have garnered increased interest in
recent months, especially as countries roll out plans to reopen
international and domestic travel. A new issue
brief takes a closer look at what vaccine passports are, how
other countries are using them, and what implementation issues to
consider.
Several countries have already begun using COVID-19 vaccine passports,
with policies varying across countries. For example, several countries
are beginning to require proof of vaccination for incoming travelers to
avoid testing or quarantining; many other countries, including the U.S.,
are considering implementing similar travel requirements. In the U.S.,
airlines have already called for vaccine certifications as an option for
domestic and international travel.
The Biden administration stated it will not be the role of the federal
government to issue COVID-19 vaccine passports, however individual states
are exploring vaccine passport options. New York is the first state to
introduce vaccine certification to access certain social activities, with
other states expressing interest in doing so. Alternatively, several
governors have strongly discouraged vaccine passports, with states such
as Florida and Texas issuing executive orders banning the use of vaccine
passports.
There are a number of implementation issues to consider surrounding
vaccine passports, from equity and access to lack of uniform digital
standards. The brief covers key challenges and questions about vaccine
passports within the U.S. and globally.
It is likely that calls for vaccine passports will grow over time as
vaccine efforts increase. Still, it remains unclear if or when the U.S.
might adopt standards for a vaccine passport system for both domestic and
international travel, and how extensive the use of these certifications
will be.
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