Should Conn. have a vaccine passport?
An issue we can all disagree on
Editor’s note: We invited readers to offer their opinions on vaccine passports, and got about 100 responses — far too many to squeeze into this space. Here’s a sample that reflects some of the passion, logic and wit we heard from readers, along withBa little fury.
Yup
Yup. Letsssgoooooooo!
John Whaley, Bridgeport
Enough
NO! Enough with the mandates. With the survival rate so high, there is no need for “passports” or more restrictions. Those who are immune-compromised or sick should just stay home. The rest of us want to LIVE our lives and not be restricted at every turn.
Karen North, Meriden
It’s just a record
I would approve of a vaccination passport. It is merely a record of your vaccination.
Not China
Charles M. Stankye, III
No, this is the United States, not China. Scott Harrison, Orange
Fed up
I would. Simply because I am fed up with those who are not vaccinated, unless there is a strong medical reason. We would have reached herd immunity by the summer if not for the spread of bogus misinformation from many sources, including despicable media and politicians. This should not be a political issue, period. It’s a health issue. And the anti-vaxers and antimaskers are responsible for the pandemic still affecting the overall public.
Edward Walczykowski, Ridgefield
Tyranny
No! This is America! We are free here and do not want tyrannical oppression. If masks and vaccines work, people who are afraid should choose to use them. I’ve been teaching over four decades, and what we are doing to kids with all this is horrific! We have always had illnesses, and there are many greater risks in life. We cannot and should not regulate everything! Again, let freedom live!
Dace Ashcraft, Stamford
Give us tools
Yes, yes, yes. I am in retail, and I am tired of people arguing about vaccines and masks. Please give us the tools to keep people safe.
Alice M. Hutchinson, Bethel
Husky Pass
Yes! I have been saying for months that if New York has Excelsior Pass, then Connecticut should have a Husky Pass! Why hasn’t this been done already? I’m tired of having to carry around a flimsy, fragile, easily forged paper card that’s too big to fit in my wallet.
Michael J. Franco, Jr., Norwalk
‘Upside-down’
I’ve been signing HIPAA documents for years and years. Might as well throw those out. This goes directly against one’s privacy. It’s just another way to discriminate against someone, which is not what we need in this upside-down environment we now live in.
Duane Hein, Monroe
Concerned about records
Yes, in theory. I am a bit concerned about the state’s records because when I went to get my booster, my second dose from six months ago had not been recorded in the system.
Jennifer Forman, Stamford
The point?
No, Connecticut should not have vaccination passports. What is the point? Do your homework. You can get COVID from both the vaxed and the unvaxed. Personally, I am vaccinated, but I find it appalling that the state may differentiate among its residents based upon vaccination status. Can’t wait to be down in the free state of Florida.
Ann Marie Willinger, Shelton
Too much government
I absolutely do not favor a Connecticut vaccine passport. Too much government control or our lives. Stop drifting into the authoritarian mode. The virus is here to stay, and the government cannot control it. It is foolish and arrogant thinking to believe such a thing.
Caroline B. Reid, Washington Depot
Some concerns
I would. It would certainly make things easier for venues and those attending events. I do have concerns about it being a barrier for vaccinated people without access to a smartphone, and I worry about tracking/data, and if there could still be a level of privacy.
Aimee Cotton Bogush, Bethany
Using New York’s
Absolutely. I’m using NYC’s passport now because I have no alternative, and it’s fine, but I’d prefer something in-state. Katherine Johnson, Stamford
Another burden
No, I see this as an additional burden to individuals and businesses. As we have seen from recent experience, both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals can still get the virus. Having a passport doesn’t mean that someone is not contagious, it just means that if they get the virus, the effects will be lessened. A passport does not mean that it is a virus-free location.
Vinny Falco, New Milford
Bigger problems
I am against vaccine passports because what good do they actually provide? I contracted COVID after the required vaccine. The government has much bigger problems to deal with. Stop bureaucratic control.
Nick Ecker, Shelton
I use one
Absolutely! It is wonderful to go to NYC and know that everyone around me is vaccinated. And the ease of a passport helps reduce resistance to finding a photo of your old card. I would like to see the same format used throughout neighboring states. COVID and other viruses are not going away.
Maggie Dobbins, Fairfield
Free country
Absolutely NOT! We would like to keep America a free country.
Heather Smeriglio, Stamford
Only way
Yes. The only way we are going to be able to resume life as usual is if we know that those around us are vaccinated.
Martin E. Cobern, Cheshire
Stigma
A vaccine passport stigmatizes people for exercising personal judgment. America does not do that.
Bruce V. Miller, Westport
Too many breakthroughs
No vaccine passport because there are too many breakthrough cases. These vaccines do not sufficiently stop the spread to others, which is the purpose of a passport. Michelle Tubachit, New Milford
Working well in N.Y.
Yes, we should definitely create a Connecticut passport. They’re working well in New York and will keep everyone safer. Steven Baker, New Haven
Why necessary?
Absolutely not. People are being told to get booster because the efficacy wanes after time. What will vaccinated mean if we keep the boosters going? Also, the current strain is more contagious but less deadly. Why would a passport be necessary for a virus that is losing severity?
Sue Laydon, Branford
Don’t expose rest of us
Absolutely. If you choose to be stupid and not get the vaccine, at least don’t expose the rest of us at public venues.
Cathy Jackson, Monroe
My own business
Hell no! My medical information is no one’s business but mine!
Michele Lyons, New Milford
The way out
Yes. Vaccines are our pathway out of this pandemic. The liberties of those vaccinated should not be limited because of those refusing to be vaccinated.
Jody Dietch, Orange
Firm no
Not in a million years.
David Englert, Ridgefield
Safe travels
My brother and dad live in Connecticut, and so I visit frequently from my home in Washington, D.C. I am in favor of a vaccine passport.
Jen Lewis, Washington, D.C
I will leave
Absolutely not! Is this Nazi Germany? We have got to stop handing over our rights to these power-hungry monsters who think they should control our every movement! I will leave Connecticut before I comply to this!
Liza Melendez, New Milford
So many people at risk
Yes! It is frustrating to know that many people who walk around without masks in indoor settings are not vaccinated. This puts so many people at risk and is avoidable with vaccine passports, which businesses can use to screen their customers. Maybe then we can begin to put the pandemic behind us.
Vickie Mortimer, West Haven
Ask for proof
Yes. And I’d also favor restaurants and all retail establishments asking for proof of vac before allowing entry.
Alan Eisenberg, Stamford
No point
No! Our medical history is private. Furthermore, whether we have agreed to get the shot and boosters or not, a person can still carry and transmit the COVID-19 virus. Therefore, there is no point to implement a vaccine passport.
John Romans, Southbury
Overdue
Yes. When you know the best outcome, you plan for it, make it easy and set it up to function smoothly. Other states and countries are doing this. Do it ASAP.
Lorelei O’Hagan, Greenwich