Vaccine passports can move Canada forward

Strong arguments support urgency of measure, says Christopher Holcroft.

Vaccine passports, I believe, are not only vital to the safety of our community, they are crucial to the stability of our democracy.

Canadian political leaders should embrace them.

There are strong arguments for now requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to attend post-secondary school, travel and access non-essential services, at minimum.

Scientists have outlined the advantages for reducing the spread of the virus and lessening the likelihood of further lockdowns. Business groups have connected vaccine passports to a robust economic recovery.

There are also legitimate concerns: ensuring equitable access to vaccines, protection of privacy right and guarding against potentially discriminatory practices under a vaccine requirement. There is also a significant population — children under 12 years of age — for whom a vaccine is not yet available.

Any COVID-19 vaccine passport must be thoughtfully implemented and justly administered (including exemptions for medical situations). Such models already exist.

An international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required to enter some countries. In several provinces — including Ontario, New Brunswick and British Columbia — students attending public schools must demonstrate proof of immunization against a number of diseases.

Still missing from this discussion, however, is recognition of the extraordinary strain our public discourse and social fabric are under from some alt-right media websites, disinformation campaigns and antigovernment think tanks.

Even as Canada emerges as a global leader in vaccine uptake and delivery, some of these forces threaten to undermine the public effort to overcome a deadly pandemic while deepening mistrust in science and democratic institutions.

Evidence of the alarming spread of pandemic misinformation around the world on social media is well documented and Canada is not immune.

Studies conducted over the last year reveal nearly all Canadians have seen misinformation about COVID-19 online and almost half have believed at least one unfounded theory about the virus.

Worse, ignorance can intersect with hate. According to a 2020 study, Canada is among the global leaders in online right-wing extremism, which at times is targeting vaccine distribution.

We cannot wish this problem away and with new variants of the virus encroaching, we cannot afford to wait it out.

Canadian public opinion researchers suggest — and France's new policy confirms — vaccine passports can be effective in allowing Canada to reach the rate of immunization public health experts say is necessary for herd immunity. The Quebec government is already preparing for its use.

Taking the most basic of health precautions — subject to a legitimate exception — to protect your fellow citizens is an entirely reasonable expectation of civic responsibility.

Permitting a small cohort to abdicate this responsibility — at the risk to the wider community — is not empathy but apathy.

There is profit to be made in facilitating the dangerous spread of misinformation and hate. There is political power to be won in pandering to it.

Action should be taken now.

While our federation's governance structure precludes easy solutions, a projected federal election this fall presents an opportunity to position vaccine passports as a national objective and move the issue forward.

Mandating proof of vaccination for international travel, introducing vaccine requirements to access some federally regulated services such as VIA Rail, airlines and ferries, plus co-ordinating a standardized pass available for use by all provinces and territories would be an excellent step by all party leaders.

This is a moment in which Canada can overcome significant threats to public well-being. We should seize it.