More than a year ago, life as we knew it changed for us; COVID-19 was here to stay. A rare and little-known disease produced by a respiratory virus named Sars-CoV-2 began to spread massively, affecting the respiratory tract and even essential organs such as the kidney, the heart, or the brain.
Today, thanks to scientific advances and technology, we have several types of vaccines intended to stop the spread and the most severe forms of COVID-19.
Many nations have made a titanic effort to stop the pandemic, and while some have successfully stopped the spread, others have not yet succeeded. Among the many measures have ranged from border closures to restricted hours and facility closures. Today, one of the latest measures between countries is the vaccination passport, but so far, we know very little about this.
WHAT IS THE VACCINATION PASSPORT?
According to The New England Journal of Medicine, vaccination passports are certifications of vaccination that reduce public health restrictions for their bearers.
The vaccination passport is one of the many measures implemented by governments and international organizations to finally achieve normality by proving that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recovered from COVID-19, or has undergone a test (RT-PCR or rapid antigen tests) with negative results.
This accreditation aims to facilitate the free movement of people in the streets and minimize the risk of contagion.
HOW DOES THE VACCINATION PASSPORT WORK?
It depends on the government administration’s policies. For example, in New York, it is called Excelsior Pass by having the entrance to theatres, restaurants, events in arenas, concerts, and weddings are allowed.
While in Israel, it is called Green Pass and allows entry to otherwise restricted sites such as hotels, gyms, restaurants, theatres, and music venues.
This passport is a digital accreditation that respects the data, security, and privacy of the holder. This digital certificate contains only the information needed to identify the holder, the COVID-19 vaccine, the number, date, and vaccination place.
NOT ALL VACCINES ARE AUTHORIZED
Another requirement is that only vaccines that have received marketing authorization within the EU will be accepted. The EU liability and quality control clause will not cover vaccines from not approved companies.
At the moment, just four pharmaceutical companies are authorized to market their vaccines in the EU: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.
DO VACCINATION CARDS WORK AS CERTIFICATION?
No. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination cards are not the same as a vaccination passport. Vaccination cards are easily forged and only work as an immunization record for the individual.
BENEFITS OF A VACCINATION PASSPORT
Beyond a certificate serving as proof of a person’s vaccination status, it also contributes to distributing agencies’ ability to document progress, avoid duplicate vaccinations, and facilitate the proper administration of multi-dose vaccines.
Unlike other vaccine certificates whose purpose is to document vaccination, the main objective of a COVID-19 digital vaccine certificate is the economy.
It is no secret that the pandemic devastated the economic sector, and many countries depend on it. Having a digital vaccination passport would help tourism, entertainment, and other private industries recover.
HOW MAY TECHNOLOGY WORK IN THE VACCINATION PASSPORT?
The proposals involve some smartphone application or QR code to serve as a person’s vaccination status. They also integrate additional functions, such as managing vaccination appointments or reporting symptoms after vaccination.
ETHICAL ISSUES
COVID-19 has hit harder for more people in underserved and marginalized communities. While some countries are in their late pandemic phases, others, in contrast, have communities without adequate health care, economic stability, or access to education.
Many proposals for digital vaccine certificates currently under development or under consideration would perpetuate these harms rather than mitigate them.
First, as long as vaccine supply remains insufficient, privileging those fortunate enough to have early access to vaccines is morally questionable.
Second, even after the supply is issued, vaccination rates among racial minorities and low-income populations appear to remain disproportionately low. Related to this, programs that confer social privileges based on fitness may lead to unfair discrimination.
Third, the protection conferred by vaccination, especially against new variants, and the potential for viral transmission by vaccinated persons are not yet well understood.
Fourth, privileging vaccines over persons with religious or philosophical objections to vaccination may be construed by some as discrimination.
Marginalized and vulnerable populations —the stateless, migrants, and refugees, among others — will likely be among the last to receive vaccinations, if they can get them at all.
Even individuals in communities with easy access to the vaccine may not get it due to medical conditions or other restrictions public health authorities put in place.
Whatever their circumstances, a person who has been unable to be vaccinated should not be restricted from accessing spaces and services based on their vaccination status. History serves as a guide for discrimination issues.
Still, vaccination certificates as passports for free circulation are under study and evaluation. However, according to regulatory experts, the vaccination passport should not be a precondition for the exercise of free movement between countries or within the same country.
However, when necessary, people will be bound by the limitations imposed by the countries, such as mandatory tests, quarantines, or self-isolation.
REFERENCES
Mark A. Hall, J.D., and David M. Studdert, Sc.D., L.L.B., M.P.H. (2021). “Vaccine Passport” Certification — Policy and Ethical Considerations. The NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL of MEDICINE. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMp2104289?articleTools=true
Verónica Arroyo, Raman Jit Singh Chima, and Carolyn Tackett. (2021). Protocol for exclusion: why COVID-19 vaccine “passports” threaten human rights. Retrieved from https://www.accessnow.org/cms/assets/uploads/2021/04/Covid-Vaccine-Passports-Threaten-Human-Rights.pdf
Mart Susi and Tiina Pajuste (eds.), Covid-19 “Vaccine Passports”: An Exploratory Study of 23 Countries (Tallinn: Tallinn University, 2021)
