Covid-19 Vaccine Passport Questions and Answers

Vaccine passports have become a controversial issue in the United States. But not everyone seems to be discussing the same thing.

The term “vaccine passport” generally refers to a smartphone app that allows you to quickly confirm that someone has received it. COVID-19 Being a vaccine, phone owners can enter the venue, fly, etc. However, the debate over vaccine passports often confuses these apps with the broader question of how to process vaccination records.Some Republicans use this concept as an invasive government oversight, and even Banned vaccine passport In some states, supporters of vaccination passports argue that evidence of vaccination may help restore businesses and bring people’s lives closer to normal.

The White House officials Vaccination passport is not provided or required By the federal government.Instead, various private and state-owned initiatives are offered. hundreds Of vaccine-related apps and services that people can choose to use.At the same time, some American colleges say they will need Evidence of Covid-19 vaccination From students as they return to campus. Workplaces and employers can have similar requirements, According to some legal experts..

It remains to be seen if these so-called vaccine passports will be a major part of the resumption of the US economy. (After all, like other Covid-19 public health initiatives Digital contact tracing, Failed in the United States. ) Probably still have questions. There are many unknowns, but this is the best way to answer them.

You got a vaccine card when you took the shot, so you have a vaccine passport, right?

Not exactly.The· Paper vaccine card What everyone who is jabbed in the United States receives (with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) insignia) includes personal information, vaccines obtained, where they were obtained, and batch numbers. .. At least one venue Used these cards to check people’s vaccination status, but they are unlikely to act as vaccine passports because they can easily be destroyed, lost, or lost. fake..

However, the fundamental concept of using paper vaccination records as a kind of vaccine passport is not new. Parents often need to provide proof that their child has been vaccinated before starting school or summer camp.In some countries, visitors need to carry small yellow documents to be monitored By World Health Organization (WHO) Called an international certificate for vaccination or prevention, it confirms that these visitors have been vaccinated against the disease. Often yellow fever..

Some healthcare providers receiving the Covid-19 vaccine provide digital and paper-based vaccination records. For example, Wal-Mart said last month,Smart health cardFor those who have been vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine through a pharmacy. These records can be accessed from the patient’s Wal-Mart pharmacy account or are available in paper form. Similarly, Carbon Health, Affiliated After being vaccinated in the city of Los Angeles, we launched a digital health pass that will soon work on Apple Wallet and Google Pay.

So how exactly does a vaccine passport work? How is it different from displaying vaccination records?

Vaccine passports streamline the process of confirming that a person has been vaccinated or has recently undergone a negative test. This is usually done via an app or printed code. The venue, airline, or other party will scan this code. This code indicates whether a specific healthcare provider, private sector, or even state or local government has a digital vaccination record or negative test results.

Carbon health

CommonPass and HealthPass are two new apps that act as vaccine passports. CommonPass was launched by the Commons Project, a non-profit initiative focused on digital health. Clear, a company known for its ability to quickly acquire members through airport security, Health pass app, Used in events that include .. next, Excelsior Pass, Vaccine passport system initiated by the state of New York. All of these tools can also test for Covid-19 negative results.

Overseas, it is issued by the Israeli government Green passThis allows people who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 to return to indoor venues such as restaurants and hotels.European Commission Working on Similar system..

Will the US Government Force Me to Use Vaccine Passports?

No.The White House officials Said repeatedly The US government does not force people to vaccinate and does not issue vaccination passports.

On the other hand, many of the company-led vaccine passport initiatives are optional, and vaccine passport apps usually go to the venue by providing proof that the Covid-19 test is negative if not vaccinated. Allow admission.

I have been vaccinated, and I want to start more. How can I get a vaccine passport?

How you get your vaccination passport depends on many factors, including where and how you were vaccinated. At the federal level, there is no centralized vaccination recording system, so you may not be able to get a vaccine passport at all. Therefore, a CDC card may be the next best option.

To find out what’s available, sign in to the account of the healthcare provider who provided the vaccine. Probably Wal-Mart or the community’s medical system. If you’re not sure if you have an account, check your email and text message. Currently, not all healthcare providers publish digital vaccination records, but some healthcare providers, including Walgreens, do. May do so in the near future..

If you live in New York and have obtained both doses in the state, you should be able to check your vaccination status using the Excelsior Pass app.The state explains how to set up an Excelsior pass Here..

Common Pass and Clear’s Health Pass are also available from their respective apps.For example, iOS users can set CommonPass directly Apple Health app, And Android users can use Common Health app..Available to both iOS and Android users to get a health pass .. Both CommonPass and HealthPass have a growing list of other healthcare providers and institutions, as well as Wal-Mart’s digital vaccination recording system.

Mid-April, International Air Transport Association (IATA) expect The TravelPass app will be available on iOS devices, and the Android version will be available in the coming weeks. How useful the app is depends on the requirements implemented by the airline you are flying on and the country you are traveling to.

Finally, if you need a copy of your digital vaccination record, contact your vaccinated location or state health authority to see the options available.

What can I do with my vaccine passport?

Currently, vaccine passports are not available in many places, but there are some signs that they may become more widely used.

The Excelsior Pass in New York is used at several venues, including: Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center,and Yankee Stadium.. Hawaii Governor David Ige Recently announced deployment plan Vaccine passport pilot program North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper so that tourists do not have to be finally quarantined after entering the state Said He is “discussing” about the “vaccine passport.”

More than 20 airlines Currently experimenting Vaccine passports such as IATA Travel Pass and Common Pass are included.For example, you can the current Use the Common Pass on a limited number of United and Lufthansa flights from Germany to the United States. You can also use CommonPass to skip the Covid-19 screening line To enter Aruba..

On the other hand, the Clear Health Pass is used in various places such as the 9/11 Museum and the NBA. Some cruise lines Also announced that it would like to resume operations by requiring passengers to prove vaccination. Therefore, the vaccine passport may appear in the port in the near future.

Vaccine passports seem convenient. So what are the drawbacks?

Some people are worried that having a vaccination passport will create two classes, one with vaccination and one without. Currently WHO Not supported Use of vaccine passport. Global health nonprofits say they are waiting for more information about the infection, and given the worldwide limited supply of vaccines, vaccine passports have more privileges. It can lead people to preferential access to vaccines for travel before those at greater risk.

Another concern is privacy and security. Some people are worried that interacting with the app may endanger their health data.For example, a privacy advocate Told the Washington Post It took only 11 minutes to look up the details of others on social media and create a fake Excelsior Pass.

The US government and WHO have stated that they are working on vaccine passport standards, but neither has published those guidelines yet. This means that countless initiatives are moving forward and devising their own rules and standards.

Overall, the challenges for optimal functioning of vaccine passports include creating a standardized system that can access vaccination records from different vaccination sites and different locations. For now, it seems unlikely.

So why do conservatives want to ban vaccine passports?

The emergence of voluntary digital vaccine passport apps has confused the technology debate about what these vaccine passports do.

In particular, conservatives have expressed opposition to the idea of ​​vaccine passports because of fears of government oversight and coercion. Republicans and conservatives “vaccine passports”Non-American, “”Orwell, “And even compared Ideas for Nazi Germany.. That means that federal-created vaccine passports don’t work, even though the White House has repeatedly said it won’t create a national database of vaccination records.

Nevertheless, some conservative leaders have moved to limit the use of these tools.In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis Signed an executive order Prohibits government agencies and businesses from seeking proof of Covid-19 vaccination.Governor Greg Abbott was founded in Texas Similar order An entity that prohibits public funds or government agencies from requesting vaccination certification.Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs has submitted a bill banning federal participation Vaccine passport program (Repeat, the US government says it has no plans to do this).

Some fear that the exaggeration of what these various digital vaccine records and vaccine passports actually accompany can discourage some people from being vaccinated.Opinion poll finally by former President Donald Trump Encourage his supporters Get the jab.

Will Vaccine Passports Help “Resume” the World?

At this time, it is not clear how much vaccine passport volume and easy access to vaccination records will help reopen the US economy. Of course, some venues were reopened by checking the status of vaccinations and Covid-19 tests. As vaccinations continue to be deployed, more workplaces and schools may look for proof that people have been shot.

However, the deployment of these systems is confusing, especially with so many different and sometimes overlapping initiatives. Growing opposition to the idea of ​​a vaccine passport only dims the prospect that such an app could be used to help reopen some businesses.

For example, banning Governor DeSantis from checking vaccination records Driven the cruise company into a difficult situation.. Florida is a popular destination for embarkation, and some cruise companies wanted to require vaccines for all passengers and crew to help reopen the industry. Well, some of those ships may have to find another way.

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