California supports COVID-19 vaccine “passport” at venue

California health officials have repeatedly stated that they have no plans to enact a “passport” for the COVID-19 vaccine. This is a digital or paper pass that allows vaccinated residents and those who test negative in concerts, baseball games, and other sports arenas.

But this month, the state announced Rules for resuming indoor live events This gives the company an incentive to request such evidence from the ticket owner. Companies can host larger events by verifying one of the safeguards.

“Of course, this is a form of vaccine passport,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, Berkeley.

It’s not surprising that California hasn’t accepted the label, he said.

“What’s happening in the vaccine passport is the same as what’s happening in the mask,” Swartsburg said. “It has been politicized, and it’s really just a shame.”

As the pandemic continues, the requirements for vaccination by California employers, universities, and others will probably increase, especially if the vaccine is readily available and officially approved by the federal government. Private companies and healthcare institutions are already working on creating airline boarding pass-like passes that can be used and printed digitally.

“The idea of ​​vaccine validation is very old,” said Dr. Christopher A. Longhurst, professor of pediatrics and chief information officer at the University of California, San Diego.

In many countries, travelers are required to carry a “yellow card” that certifies vaccination against yellow fever and other illnesses. In the United States, children have long been required to be vaccinated to attend school or camp.

“What’s new and different, and scaring some people, is the idea of ​​vaccine validation for everyday activities, not employment or school registration,” Longhurst said. “I have to show it more often.”

Eugene Volokh, a professor of constitution at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that if the vaccine pass had not been called a passport, there might have been little dissent. The passport is a government-issued document that “sounds like the government is in control of your movement.”

“Infectious diseases create special orders that acknowledge that people might otherwise be skeptical,” says one of the many legal scholars who say that such a path is constitutional. Volok said. Still, he said it wasn’t surprising that the verification system might be worried.

“It’s not America that is constantly being told,’Please give me your treatise,'” he said.

Longhurst and the University of California, San Diego are working with a group called the Vaccine Certification Initiative. The group is supporting the development of a system aimed at producing reliable and verifiable copies of COVID-19 vaccination records in digital or paper format.

The widespread use of such paths depends, in part, on public health and political trends. Most people are vaccinated and may not make sense in areas with low virus levels, Longhurst said.

“This will really be driven by the market,” he said. The US government “will not require a vaccine passport. This is very clear, but other governments will definitely require it,” he said. Israel already has a strong vaccine passport system.

In the United States, it will take at least a couple of months for a practical technical standard for health paths to be developed, he said.

Dr. Robert Wachter, a professor and chairman of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, said he expects that travel and participation in certain events will ultimately require proof of vaccination.

“If you think the mask is a hot potato, wait for it,” he said.

Wachter is fully vaccinated, but the vaccine is not absolutely certain and you will not eat indoors in the restaurant. Wachter said he would “absolutely” participate if the restaurant ensured that all employees and patrons were vaccinated.

Swartsburg said he would pay a premium to use airlines that need to show that travelers are vaccinated against COVID-19.

“If I knew a store that people who came here would have to get vaccinated, I would prefer to go to that store,” Swartsburg said.

The 2011 film Contagion featured a visionary display of vaccine passports, said Longhurst, Deputy Chief of Quality and Safety at the University of California, San Diego. This movie is about a deadly virus that spreads all over the world. The scene shows that Americans must wear a wristband to prove vaccination in order to enter the store.

In real life, the United States has conducted vaccine verification campaigns to control the outbreak of smallpox. At the turn of the 20th century, vaccination proof was needed in some places I go to work or school, get on the train, go to the theater. Health officials often required to see vaccination scars rather than relying on potentially counterfeit certifications.

Some cities have created virus squadsMichael Willrich, a professor of history at Brandeis University, said he was making door-to-door visits to check people’s vaccination status. Those who refused to get the vaccine relied on exposing parts of their skin to nitric acid. There was a nickel-sized scar that resembled the scar left by the vaccine.

In 1905, the Supreme Court upheld a state law requiring vaccination against infectious diseases. Judge John Marshall Harlan said in a 7-2 decision: “Individual rights may be subject to restrictions that are enforced by reasonable regulations as general security under the pressure of great danger. The public may demand.”

Legal scholars say the state has the freedom to demand vaccine passports or ban them in its jurisdiction, and the political battle has already begun. Conservative governors of Texas and Florida have banned them, claiming that vaccination cards are personal medical records that do not need to be revealed. Liberal New York has approved the “Excelsior Pass” to prove admission to Madison Square Garden, large weddings, live performance vaccinations or negative test results.

In California, Congressman Kevin Kylie (R-Rocklin) Drafted a bill banning such passes “As a condition of getting service or entering a place.” Legislation is unlikely to go far in the Democratic-controlled state legislature and Senate.

The state’s Secretary of Health and Welfare, Dr. Mark Garry, said California’s rules for reopening indoor venues were not considered a vaccine passport. He said the pass system needs to be carefully designed to protect privacy and ensure fairness.

“We are looking at whether it makes sense in the most risky areas (large indoor random mixed environments) where vaccines and test validation may be expected.” Ghaly said in an interview.

The new state rules depend on the county’s position in the state’s color-coded risk strata. In the orange layer, where the virus spreads moderately, the capacity of indoor venues is limited to 15% or 200 people. However, if the operator requests proof of vaccination or a negative test, the venue can more than double the capacity to 35%.

Under the rules, theaters, music halls and other indoor venues risk blowbacks from customers who oppose vaccination and testing verification, whether it makes economic sense to open in limited capacity. You need to decide if you want to attack. This may not be a problem in urban areas that support vaccination, but it can be a problem for businesses in the “red” areas of the state where there is growing opposition to vaccine passports. The number of people who have been inoculated is relatively small.

Several universities nationwide Plan to request students I will be vaccinated to return to campus in the fall. The University of California system, which mandated all students and staff to get the flu vaccine last year, has not yet decided whether to mandate COVID-19.

The California State University system will not require vaccines, at least until official approval from the Food and Drug Administration, but on some campuses athletes and dormitory residents may need to receive injections. No, spokesman Mike Woolenkamp said.

San Francisco, which has managed the pandemic conservatively, allowed fans to participate in the Giants match this month after the team agreed. Need someone over 12 years old Present either evidence of vaccination or negative coronavirus test.about 7,300 fans participated Home opening game at Oracle Park. Nearly 8,000 approved by health authorities.

Julie Elliott, 46, a teacher and avid Giants fan, praised the safety protocol. “It respects other fans and players and their families,” she said.

Elliott has been vaccinated, but her 14-year-old daughter is not yet qualified and must take a test to enter the venue. “It didn’t stop me from taking her to the game,” Elliott said.

Following San Francisco rules, the Golden State Warriors also ask attendees To show evidence of a negative test or vaccine Enter their stadium.

“We know that what makes San Francisco special is the live performances and events that people get together for music, sports, cultural performances and graduations,” London Breed Mayor said in a statement. It states. “We are excited about this step and the outlook, but we all need to continue to play our part in order to put safety first.”

Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.