© Getty Getty
- The Biden administration is reportedly working on a national vaccine passport program.
- The scheme will enable people to prove they have received a coronavirus vaccination in order to enter some private venues and businesses.
- Possession of a vaccine passport could be an entry requirement to some sports arenas, music venues, or restaurants.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
The Biden administration is working on a vaccine passport program that would allow people to prove they have received a coronavirus vaccination, in order to enter venues which have been closed due to social distancing requirements, such as offices or movie theatres. The Washington Post and CNN reported.
Five officials, who spoke anonymously, told the Post that the White House is pushing efforts by federal agencies and private companies to develop the scheme.
Vaccine passports have been widely touted around the world as a way for various industries to start returning to normal whilst minimising the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks and could be an entry requirement for anything from sports arenas, music venues, or restaurants, to international travel.
The passports will likely take the form of a scannable code displayed on smartphones, private developers told the Post, while users without smartphones will be able to print codes onto paper.
New York has already announced an app called the Excelsior Pass which will allow a user to prove they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently tested negative, Forbes reported.
One official suggested to CNN that vaccine passports could be required for people returning to work.
The White House declined to comment to the Post on record but pointed to comments made by Jeffrey Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, who said at a press briefing in March: “As we increase the number of people vaccinated, we know some people may have a need to demonstrate that they are vaccinated.
“The private sector and not-for-profit coalitions are already beginning to work on this.
“Our role is to help ensure that any solutions in this area should be simple, free, open source, accessible to people both digitally and on paper, and designed from the start to protect people’s privacy.”
The idea of vaccine passports is gathering momentum worldwide, too.
Similar schemes are being considered by the United Kingdom’s government and the European Union has announced plans for a “Digital Green Certificate” which will prove whether a carrier has been vaccinated, tested negative, or recovered from the virus.
“With this certificate, we aim to help member states reinstate freedom of movement in a safe, responsible, and trusted manner,” European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference earlier in March.
The Ada Lovelace Institute, an NGO, said 30 countries around the world including China and the UAE are considering or already using a vaccine passport scheme as they seek to return to normal life, Insider’s Marianna Guenot reported.
