Vaccine Passports — Are They Our Ticket to Safe Travel?
In late March, Iceland announced that it would be welcoming vaccinated travelers from anywhere, effective April 6th. The country joins a growing list of travel destinations allowing vaccinated visitors to forego COVID testing and quarantine upon arrival. They’ve taken matters into their own hands rather than wait for consensus on the matter of vaccine passports.
With a resident population of around 350,000, Iceland is dependent on a tourism industry that attracts seven times this number of visitors to the island. They’ve been innovative in their approach to tourists throughout the pandemic. Authorities initially allowed access to the country with a negative test upon arrival, then introduced double-testing with a five-day quarantine. In December, Iceland dropped testing and quarantine requirements for Europeans who could prove they’d recovered from a COVID infection.
But obtaining consensus in a small nation known as one of the most peaceful and tolerant in the world is one thing. In the US, discussion of a passport vaccine has sparked concerns regarding privacy and discrimination.
What Is a Vaccine Passport, and How Would It Work?
There’s no universal COVID vaccine passport, but several different initiatives are developing digital apps. (A hardcopy, paper passport isn’t viable, given that the move to contactless check-in has already begun.) Passport apps will incorporate vaccine records and other useful functions, like the ability to check a particular destination’s current travel requirements and restrictions. Some apps will likely include the passport holder’s identifying biometric data.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is currently testing their Travel Pass app with more than a dozen airlines. It requires users to scan their physical passports and allows them to add vaccination and testing records. If the country you’re visiting requires a test, but you haven’t gotten one yet, you can book a test through the app, and the results are automatically sent to it. If you’re planning an international trip at some point this year, you may be required to use the Travel Pass app. There are no plans currently to use it for domestic travel within the U.S.
Still, there is no internationally recognized way of sharing vaccine status, nor consensus on which vaccines will be considered acceptable. It would take an internationally accepted authority such as the World Health Organization (WHO) to do this. However, WHO is currently advocating against requiring vaccines for travel because it’s not known how effective vaccines are in preventing transmission of COVID.
Vaccine Passports Could Be Used for More Than Travel
There’s also bubbling excitement about the opportunity for vaccine passports to restore normalcy to industries beyond travel. They could be a way for restaurants, bars, clubs, and gyms to again operate at normal occupancy levels, and for employers to bring people back to the office. Vaccine passports could even bring back large-scale events like music concerts and bring fans back to sports stadiums.
For example, Israel is in the process of launching its green passport. As of late March, the small country has the world’s highest vaccination rate per 100 people. The passport gives vaccinated citizens a QR code on an app that’s valid for six months from vaccination. It will allow them access to synagogues and businesses. Children appear on their parents’ passports, and those who have recovered from COVID are permitted to accompany them.
What Are the Concerns Surrounding Vaccine Passports?
As enticing as a return to normalcy is, there are valid concerns about enforcing vaccines as access control. And these take on extra weight if passports become requirements for the general public, for entry to events or businesses, instead of the relatively small percentage of people traveling internationally.
Discrimination
Currently, any policy that requires vaccination will automatically discriminate against young people who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, and against citizens of poorer nations where vaccines are not readily available.
Groups that elect not to have the vaccine for religious or cultural reasons or out of concerns for possible side effects will be similarly disadvantaged. Such policies could be regarded as coercive and restricting peoples’ freedom of choice in vaccination.
Privacy
Even when people have been vaccinated, they may have concerns about the sensitive personal data that a vaccine passport app would collect and store. IATA says data for Travel Pass is all consumer-side: that is, it sits on the passenger’s device and isn’t stored anywhere on IATA databases. Other developers say they’re using blockchain technology to secure data across multiple locations to prevent illegal access.
Fraud
In addition to any fraudulent activity resulting from the illegal use of passport holders’ data, fraudulent vaccine certificates are already available for sale on the dark web.
Irresponsible Behavior
Approved covid-19 vaccines appear highly effective in preventing severe illness and death, but vaccinated people may still be able to transmit the virus to others. In addition, current vaccines may not be effective against future coronavirus variants. Vaccinated individuals are generally still encouraged to wear masks, wash their hands frequently, avoid big crowds, and maintain social distance.
A vaccine passport could confer a false sense of security and encourage irresponsible behavior that continually leads to new waves and mutations of COVID.
The Upshot
Regardless of the lack of universal consensus, and despite the concerns, some countries and organizations are forging ahead with plans for vaccine passports. China, Dubai, and several European countries seem to be on board, although France and Germany are less keen. The UK is in serious discussions on the matter.
In the US, New York State is piloting a vaccine passport called the Excelsior Pass for entrance to arts and entertainment venues and large events. It also enables people to increase the size of their wedding party and other catered events.
At the federal level, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in early March that federal efforts are currently focused on the vaccine rollout.
