White House vetoes vaccination passports
The US government won’t issue so-called vaccine passports, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, after Texas sought to limit their development because of privacy concerns.
“The government is not now, nor will we be, supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential,” Ms Psaki told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. “There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential.”
The administration wants to protect Americans’ privacy and doesn’t want vaccine passports “used against people unfairly”, Ms Psaki said.
Some businesses and colleges are pushing for people to show proof of vaccination — before, say, boarding cruise ships, entering stadiums, or returning to campus — as a way to safely resume pre-pandemic operations.
For instance, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings plans to resume cruising from US ports starting July 4 and will require vaccinations of guests and crew, the company said. Brown University and Northeastern University on Tuesday joined a group of universities that will require students to get a Covid-19 vaccine in order to return to campus.
Vaccine passports are usually conceived of as smartphone apps that would show the holder has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, easing travel and use of services like restaurants. The White House has previously said any such efforts should be led by the private and not-for-profit sectors.
Several states say they won’t facilitate such requirements.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, issued an order on Tuesday forbidding state agencies or any entity receiving public money from requiring vaccine passports. That effort follows a similar ban by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, on the sort of Excelsior Pass established in New York State that allows residents to verify their vaccinations or negative test results before entering concert venues or stadiums.
Ms Psaki said the administration would provide guidance “that provides important answers to questions that Americans have, in particular around concerns about privacy, security, or discrimination soon”.
There’s sharp debate on the issue in the UK and other countries. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on course for a battle with members of parliament over plans to introduce vaccine passports as part of opening up services.
In the UK, Covid certificates — based on proof of a vaccine, a negative test or immunity — could eventually eliminate the need for testing at live events and passengers heading on international trips, under government plans.