Federal government won’t require COVID vaccine passports, Fauci says. But others might
The federal government won’t require COVID-19 vaccine passports, Dr. Anthony Fauci says. But Americans may still need them in some circumstances.
Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told Politico Dispatch he doubts the federal government would be the “main mover” of vaccine passports but that “individual entities” — such as businesses or schools — could require them.
“I’m not saying they should or that they would,” he said on the podcast Monday. “But I’m saying you could foresee how an independent entity might say: ‘Well we can’t be dealing with you unless we know you’re vaccinated.’ But it’s not going to be mandated from the federal government.”
Vaccine passports, which currently only exist in New York, provide proof that a person is vaccinated against COVID-19 — allowing them to enter businesses, eat in restaurants, travel or do other things more freely, The Associated Press reports. They’re typically in the form of an app with a code to verify a person’s vaccination status.
But the idea of such documentation has recently sparked political ire, specifically around a potential requirement.
The idea behind such passports is to help businesses reopen safely and are similar to measures in place to prove vaccination against other common illnesses for schools and international travel, AP reports. Some GOP lawmakers, however, have recently derided them as an infringement on personal choice and freedom, and others have made efforts to prevent their use.
In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order last week barring businesses from requiring vaccine passports or other vaccine-related documentation to enter or receive services. Those that do would lose access to grants or contracts from the state.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, recently said vaccine passports will “have no place” in the state, calling the idea “un-American to its core.” Five of South Carolina’s Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter supporting his stance.
The pushback comes as The Washington Post reported last month President Joe Biden’s administration is working with private companies to develop a standardized way of handling proof of inoculation — an effort that’s gained steam as Biden has promised enough people will be vaccinated for the country to start returning to normalcy by this summer.
Last month, Biden announced a new goal of vaccinating 200 million Americans in his first 100 days in office — doubling his original goal, which he said has already been met.
Fauci told Politico Dispatch that the federal government’s role in vaccine passports could be in “making sure things are done fairly and equitably.”
“But I doubt if the federal government is going to be the leading element of that,” he said.
His comments echoed those from White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who told reporters last week that the Biden administration will not require Americans to obtain vaccination credentials.
“A determination or development of a vaccine passport, or whatever you want to call it, will be driven by the private sector,” she said. “Ours will more be focused on guidelines that can be used as a basis.”
This story was originally published April 5, 2021 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Federal government won’t require COVID vaccine passports, Fauci says. But others might."
