The global implications of the novel coronavirus pandemic directly spurred governments to look into the potential advantages of vaccine passports. These digital certificates aim to foster a swifter reopening of the economy by identifying individuals immunized against the virus.
Understanding Vaccine Passports
Vaccine passports are essentially electronic certificates designed to record and store an individual’s vaccination status and results from any Covid-19 tests taken. These certificates can be conveniently stored in a smartphone application or other forms of digital formats, with the information available for display at security checkpoints during international travels.
Borrowing from pre-existing travel requirements, the implementation of vaccine passports mirrors the need for proof of vaccinations when travelling between certain countries. For example, some African nations mandated that travelers produce proof of vaccination against illnesses like yellow fever when entering the USA or India. Israel took a step further in February 2021 and became the first country globally to implement a certification system permitting access to select facilities and events for individuals vaccinated against Covid-19.
Functions and Beneficiaries of Vaccine Passports
The primary function of vaccine passports is to digitize vaccination records across countries and serve as evidence that an individual has been vaccinated against Covid-19 – thereby reducing the risk of transmission. The tourism and hospitality industries, heavily impacted by the pandemic due to their role in facilitating the virus spread, stand to benefit most from these passports. Similarly, international air travel, which experienced enormous setbacks due to the outbreak, also comes under potential beneficiaries.
Several associations and non-profits have begun issuing their versions of the vaccine passport optimized for international travel. For instance, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is developing an app named IATA Travel Pass. This application will provide airlines and other stakeholders in the aviation industry with a shared platform for validating proof of vaccination.
Controversies Around Vaccine Passports
Despite potential benefits, the proposed idea of vaccine passports has been met with various concerns and criticisms. The World Health Organization (WHO) is opposed to making proof of Covid-19 vaccination a prerequisite for international travel due to the uncertain effectiveness of vaccines in curtailing transmission.
Other concerns include the lack of uniformity across jurisdictions in the requirements and issuing of vaccination proofs, and the risk of preferential vaccination of travelers leading to insufficient supplies for high-risk groups. Furthermore, requiring vaccination for travel could hinder equitable global access to limited vaccine supplies, unintentionally promoting discrimination and inequality.
The digital nature of these passports also raises privacy concerns, as there is a potential for authorities to utilize them to monitor the movement of individuals.
Conclusion
Vaccine passports are an innovative proposal aimed at mitigating the impacts of the pandemic while fostering economic recovery. However, their adoption demands due consideration of the associated controversies ranging from privacy concerns to potential inequity. Therefore, it becomes essential that any implementation strategies carefully consider these potential implications to ensure that such systems are as fair and effective as possible.