The Biden administration on Tuesday said it won’t require Americans to have a vaccine passport, which are being developed to verify COVID-19 immunization status.
“There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.
As the Associated Press has explained, the so-called passports are typically
an app with a code that verifies whether someone has been vaccinated or recently tested negative for COVID.
Also read: What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccine passports — and the ‘double privilege’ dilemma they raise for society
Some lawmakers are uncomfortable with the idea — on Monday, for example, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, issued an executive order against vaccine passports, saying they infringe on citizens’ rights.
“Government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination and reveal private health information just to go about their daily lives,” Abbott said, as reported by the Hill.
Last week, Andy Slavitt, the acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said he considered them a project for the private sector, not the government, according to the AP.
Psaki made similar comments last week about a federal database and credential.
Now read: Biden advances timeline for COVID vaccine eligibility as experts warn Americans, ‘the war is not yet won’
