The World Health Organization (WHO) does not support the use of coronavirus vaccine passports for travel, a spokesman said.
WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said the world health agency does not support the use of these passports – proof that someone has been vaccinated against COVID-19 – because it remains to be seen whether those who have been vaccinated against the virus can still transmit it. She cited equity concerns as another reason why WHO does not endorse their use at this time.
“We, as WHO, are saying that at this stage we would not like to see the vaccination passport as a requirement for entry or exit because we are not sure whether the vaccine prevents transmission,” said Harris during a United Nations news conference, by Reuters.
In the United States, the issue of vaccine passports has become largely partisan, with Republican lawmakers mostly opposed to the concept.
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“There are all those other issues, in addition to the issue of discrimination against people who cannot get the vaccine for one reason or another,” he added.
The news comes after the country’s leading infectious disease specialist also spoke about vaccine passports, saying the federal government will not make them mandatory for travelers or businesses after the pandemic is over.
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“I doubt the federal government is the main driver of the vaccine passport concept,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, who also serves as chief medical advisor to President Biden, to the Politico Dispatch podcast on Monday.
“They may be involved in ensuring that things are done fairly and equitably, but I doubt that the federal government is the main element of this,” he added.
Some argue that mandatory vaccine passports can speed up the reopening of international travel. But the issue of vaccine passports is complicated and has been hotly debated around the world, with questions largely about how much governments, employers and locals have a right to know about a person’s vaccination status.
In the United States, the issue has become largely partisan, with Republican lawmakers mostly opposed to the concept. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for example, issued an executive order on Friday banning the use of vaccine passports in the state, while New York Democrats became the first state to launch a digital vaccine passport when it recently launched the so-called “Excelsior Pass.”
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Still, some companies and private organizations may seek to develop ways to confirm that someone has been vaccinated. Fauci also spoke about this during his appearance on the Politico Dispatch podcast, noting that companies or schools may require them to enter their buildings.
“I’m not saying they should or would, but I’m saying that you could predict how an independent entity could say, ‘well, we can’t deal with you unless we know that you’re vaccinated’, but it won’t be mandated by the federal government” , he said.