Across the country, Republican governors are saying no to so-called "vaccine passports."
A string of executive orders from states such as Texas, Florida, and Montana forbid their governments from requiring individuals to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination when accessing state services or facilities. These same orders ban businesses from doing the same.
"I strongly encourage Montanans to get a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine, which is our best path to protect our family and friends and get back to a more normal life," Gov. Greg Gianforte said on Tuesday. "Receiving one is entirely voluntary and will not be mandated by the State of Montana, nor compelled through vaccine passports, vaccine passes, or other compulsory means. We are committed to protecting individual liberty and personal privacy."
The issue has quickly become a flashpoint in the government's response to the pandemic, even as the vaccine rollout picks up steam nationally, but are they a serious possibility?
At the federal level, at least, the answer is a resounding no.
"The government is not now, nor will we be, supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a briefing last week. "There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential."
In America's federal system, however, that hardly puts the issue to bed. Individual states and the private sector could still take the initiative, and some already are. To better understand what this means for you, here's a quick primer on vaccine requirements as they actually exist in the U.S.
What is a vaccine passport?
First, here's what a vaccine passport is not: The standard COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, which everyone receives after getting their shot, currently does not function as a pass.
For the moment, this 4-by-3-inch card is more for safe-keeping than for carting around to some imagined checkpoint. Rather than slipping it into your wallet, most experts advise that you make photocopies and place the original in a safe place at home with other important documents.
The card does include important information such as the vaccine manufacturer and when and where it was administered, but it is not designed for widespread use as a credential or ID card. This information is collected by state immunization registries and shared with the CDC, which is how the government tracks the demographics and pace of the vaccine distribution.
States have control over these databases, meaning anyone trying to develop a national vaccine pass, whether they're public or private, would need to be given access.
Psaki said that the federal government would provide guidance on privacy-related issues surrounding the vaccine and vaccine passport, but she did not specify when.
So what is a vaccine passport then? In theory, it's an official document certifying that you have been vaccinated and could be required for activities such as travel, attendance at large events, or access to specific services.
The idea is not unprecedented. Proof of vaccination is already required in some cases for travel, and both companies and states also have some legal flexibility to require vaccination.
If current proposals are any sign, a vaccine passport would likely take the form of a digital health certificate that individual users could present through some kind of app or platform.
This is what the Vaccination Credential Initiative, a broad coalition of healthcare and technology companies, including IBM, Cigna and Microsoft, is calling for.
For a closer look at how this could work, let's look to the states.
Are any states requiring a vaccine pass?
The short answer is no. But at least one state is laying the groundwork for a statewide system.
Starting in March, New York launched a digital health certification system allowing residents to pull up a QR code on their cell phones that proves they've been vaccinated. The certificate, dubbed the Excelsior Pass, is designed for use at large-scale events that require proof of vaccination for access. The technology is based on the IBM Digital Health Pass.
Notably, the state has made clear that the pass offers a "voluntary way" to show vaccination status. Both individuals and businesses have to opt-in. Any strict requirement would be politically difficult, as only about a quarter of the state is fully vaccinated.
For now, the system is operating as a pilot. The state requires operators of large events to screen attendees before entering, but proof of vaccine is only one way to do that. Attendees can also provide proof that they've tested negative for COVID-19 in the past 72 hours.
Venues such as New York City's Madison Square Garden and Albany's Times Union Center are already accepting Excelsior, though some still have concerns about using it.
"This will be a game changer for our venue's continued reopening process and for New Yorkers in the Capital Region and beyond," Bob Belber, general manager of the Times Union Center, said in a statement.
Another Democrat-led state is also set to launch a program soon. According to a Forbes report, Hawaii Governor David Ige on Friday approved a vaccine passport program for inter-island travel that could begin as early as next month, and be extended to out-of-state by the summer.
So how about the private sector?
Outside of these select cases, battle lines are emerging between states that are firmly against vaccine requirements and a private sector eager to return to business as usual.
In Florida, for instance, Gov. Ron DeSantis is duking it out with the cruise line industry. The governor has stressed that cruise companies are prohibited from requiring proof of vaccination to get on board, even as a number of cruise lines roll out requirements.
This fight could end up in court and as a result, shift the legal backdrop for vaccine passports, but in the meantime, private companies and organizations are leading the charge. Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines have announced their intention to impose strict vaccine requirements on guests before boarding their ships.
In the education world, universities such as Cornell, Duke, Brown, and Rutgers are requiring students to get vaccinated before the next fall semester, though most are offering exemptions for medical or religious reasons
Airlines are another area where there is already infrastructure in place for some kind of passport, but it's not yet being used for vaccine verification. JetBlue, Lufthansa, and Virgin Atlantic, for example, are requiring passengers to use the digital health app, Common Pass, to verify if they've tested negative for COVID-19 before boarding flights.
Ultimately, higher rates of vaccination will be required before more companies take the next step toward requiring proof of vaccination.
