The federal government will not mandate the use of vaccine passports for travelers or post-pandemic companies, President Biden’s chief medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told the Politico Dispatch podcast on Monday.
Why does it matter: Passports with proof of vaccination may accelerate the reopening of international travel, but the idea of requiring immunization credentials has become a point of contention, especially among Republican officials.
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) banned the use of vaccine passports in his state on Friday.
What are they saying: “I doubt that the federal government is the main driver of the vaccine passport concept,” said Fauci.
- “They may be involved in ensuring that things are done fairly and equitably, but I doubt that the federal government is the main element in this.”
Fauci noticed that he believes that companies or schools may require vaccine passports to enter their buildings.
- “I’m not saying that they should or would, but I am saying that you could predict how an independent entity could say, ‘well, we cannot deal with you unless we know that you are vaccinated’, but it is not going to be ordered by the federal government. “
The big picture: The EU unveiled its proposal for vaccine passports in March, which would allow citizens who can certify that they have been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID-19 to cross borders without quarantine requirements.