COVID vaccine ‘passports’ in the U.S.: Here’s what we’re getting and why
LOS ANGELES – The European Union is about to launch a digital pass system that will let residents prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, recovered from the disease or recently tested negative for the virus, allowing them to travel freely among all 27 member nations.
For months, Israelis used a similar digital pass system, showing their vaccination status to enter restaurants, gyms and other venues. Australia has rolled out a digital proof of vaccination certificate, and Japan plans to issue one as soon as this summer.
But don’t expect the United States to go that way.
With the federal government unwilling to take the politically charged step of creating or endorsing a universal digital health pass or app, several companies are trying to fill the void. That might mean Americans will need several digital passes, like so many credit cards in a wallet. It could also mean employers, businesses and venue operators will each have to decide which works for them — or might not bother using any at all.
Since the COVID-19 vaccine rollouts began, governments, trade groups and technology companies have offered ways of supplementing the paper vaccine cards issued by clinics and labs with a digital version that can be uploaded to a smartphone and read by a digital reader. The paper cards, approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, do not include a unique marker, number or QR code, making them easy to forge, experts say.
Some digital passes are already in use or are being tested, but none is expected to be universally accepted across the country like a
Social Security card or a passport. Why? The Biden administration has made clear that it won’t create or endorse a digital pass, deferring to the private sector. Administration officials have cited concerns over privacy and security if the federal government took a role in the process.
In addition, the U.S. does not have a national database for immunization records that could act as the source of vaccination data for use in digital passes. A national system to create a unique identification number to link the health records of every American has been banned since 1998, spearheaded by then-rep. Ron Paul (R-texas), who said such a system would be an unwarranted privacy intrusion.
As a result, health care experts predict Americans are not likely to get one universally accepted digital vaccination pass.
“I think it’s stupid and, frankly, ineffective if you need to download five to seven apps,” said Nicolas Graf, a professor and associate dean of the New York University School of Professional Studies.
The concept of vaccine proof is not new. Many countries require that travelers carry
“yellow cards” verifying inoculation against yellow fever or other diseases. In the U.S., children have long been required to be vaccinated to attend schools and camps.
New York is the only state in the nation offering government-issued digital proof of COVID-19 vaccination or of a negative coronavirus test result, known as the Excelsior Pass. It was designed by IBM with health data provided by the state’s and New York City’s vaccine databases. Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium have begun accepting it, though they also accept the Cdc-approved paper vaccination cards.
More than 1 million people have downloaded the digital pass. Businesses that accept it must download a separate app, Excelsior Pass Scanner, to scan the QR code created by the pass. Users of the app must also show a photo ID to prove their identity.
California, like many other states, operates a vaccine registry that holds the vaccine data of most of its residents. But the state has yet to decide whether to partner with a technology company for use of the data in a digital pass.
“We are actively assessing the appropriate equitable, ethical, and privacy considerations for standards for COVID-19 vaccine or test verification/credentials that are provided digitally,” the state Department of Public Health said in a statement.
Digital passes are already accepted at arenas and stadiums across the country as proof of a vaccination or a negative test result, but so are CDC vaccine cards and paper documents from testing labs.
How rigorous businesses will be about verifying vaccination information or test results will depend, experts say, on the setting and on the sentiments of their customers. Customers on tightly packed cruise ships or in indoor restaurants may insist that all employees and patrons show proof, while fans at baseball stadiums and outdoor concert venues may not.
“A lot of businesses will just say, ‘Wear a mask’ because they don’t want to get in the business of enforcing it,” said Vin Gupta, an affiliate assistant professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.