Will ‘vaccine passports’ be needed?
Airlines hope idea will help bolster suffering industry this summer
Airlines and others in the travel industry are throwing their support behind so-called vaccine passports to boost pandemic-depressed travel, and authorities in Europe could embrace the idea quickly enough for the peak summer vacation season.
Technology companies and travel-related trade groups are developing and testing various versions of the vaccine passports, also called health certificates or travel passes.
It is not clear, however, whether any of the passports will be accepted broadly around the world, and the result could be confusion among travelers and disappointment for the travel industry.
What is a vaccine passport?
It is documentation that shows a traveler has been vaccinated against COVID -19 or recently tested negative for the virus that causes it. The information is stored on a phone or other mobile device that the user shows to airline employees and border officers. The Biden administration and others want a paper version available too.
Who is designing them?
The trade group for global
airlines, the International Air Transport Association, is testing a version it calls Travel Pass. IBM is developing another, called a Digital Health Pass. There are several other privatesector initiatives.
Why do travel companies want them?
International air travel has collapsed during the pandemic, as countries impose restrictions such as quarantines or outright bans to curb the spread of the virus. Airlines are counting on vaccine passports to convince governments to drop some of those restrictions that discourage visitors.
“The significance of this to restarting international aviation cannot be overstated,” said Alexandre de Juniac, the CEO of the airline trade group.
Operators of hotels that depend on international visitors are also eager to see the passes adopted.
Where would these passes be required?
Vaccine passports will be most common on international flights. Some countries already require proof of vaccination for diseases such as yellow fever, and the United States now requires a negative test for COVID -19 to enter the country, so a digital health passport isn’t much of a leap.
What are the risks?
The available vaccines are most effective at preventing serious illness, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility that vaccinated travelers could still spread the virus.