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Vaccine Passport Policies and Technology Conferences: United States, Europe, Asia and More

If you're seeking to attend face-to-face technology conferences in 2022, you may need a so-called COVID-19 "vaccine passport" to navigate the travel industry (airports, airlines, trains, hotels, etc.), and to enter certain conference centers, stadiums and concert venues in various countries and U.S. states. What exactly are vaccine passports? The short answer involves a document -- either analog or digital -- that verifies your COVID-19 immunization status. The vaccine passport, in theory, will allow inoculated people to more freely travel, shop, dine and meet locally, nationally and internationally. Still, vaccine passports also raise potential privacy, data security, equality and ethics concerns. As a result, some political leaders are pushing back and introducing legislation to ban vaccine passports. Moreover, some governments are seeking to ease or eliminate vaccine passports. This blog, updated regularly, tracks the status of vaccine passports worldwide, the technology involved, problems they strive to solve, potential ethical concerns, and associated legislation. Here are the latest updates sorted alphabetically...

ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union): Multiple Updates...
  • A system of immunity passports in the United States threatens to exacerbate racial disparities and harm the civil liberties of all. Source: ACLU, May 18, 2020.
  • The American Civil Liberties Union says "any proposal for vaccine credentials must be primarily paper-based, decentralized, and protect privacy." Source: ACLU, March 31, 2021.

Airlines & Vaccine Passports: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged countries around the world to adopt the European Union’s Digital Covid Certificate as the global standard for vaccine certification. Source: Bloomberg, August 26, 2021.
Algeria: Algeria started requiring a “vaccine passport” to enter a broad range of public venues, in a bid to boost the country's low inoculation rate and overcome vaccine hesitancy that has left millions of vaccines unused. Source: U.S. News, December 26, 2021.
Amazon re:Invent 2021 Conference: All badge holders at re:Invent 2021 must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to checking in at the event. Source: Amazon Web Services.
Alabama (United States): Multiple updates..
  • Alabama lawmakers approved a ban on vaccine passports that would prohibit proof of a coronavirus vaccination to enter a business, school or event. Source: Associated Press, May 17, 2021.
  • Governor Kay Ivey signed legislation banning so-called vaccine passports as Alabama becomes the latest state to try to prohibit proof of a coronavirus vaccination to enter a business, school or event. Source: Associated Press, May 24, 2021.

Alaska (United States): Alaska will not require visitors to have a vaccine passport if they want to travel in the state. Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy said that no person will be mandated to prove their vaccine history in order to travel to or around the state. The order will go into effect immediately. Source: Associated Press, April 26, 2021.
Arizona (United States): Governor Doug Ducey banned state and local governments from requiring a “vaccine passport” to receive service or enter an area. Source: Az Mirror, April 19, 2021.
Arkansas (United States): Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson says there are no plans for the state government to implement a Covid-19 "vaccine passport" program for Arkansans.  Source: CBS News Affiliate, April 6, 2021.
Australia: Multiple updates...
  • Queensland has introduced a vaccine passport measure for NSW. Source: 4BC 1116 News Talk Radio, August 16, 2021.
  • Australia hopes to reopen its borders by the end of 2021 with the help of a vaccine passport strategy. Source: Travel+Leisure, September 15, 2021.

Bahrain: Israel and Bahrain reached what Israel calls the world's first bilateral agreement for mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccine passports for quarantine-free travel between two countries.  Source: NPR, April 22, 2021.
Burning Man Festival (Nevada, United States): Multiple updates...
  • Burning Man festival organizers may require attendees to prove they have been vaccinated for COVID-19 -- if the organizers move forward with plans to hold this year’s counter-culture festival in the Nevada desert. Source: The Associated Press, April 21, 2021.
  • The 2021 conference is canceled, which ends debate about whether the event will require vaccine passports. Source: SFist, April 27, 2021.


California (United States): Multiple updates...
  • Tomás Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health, said the state is interested in developing standards for a vaccination passport system that would be developed by the private sector. Source: San Francisco Chronicle, April 4, 2021.
  • The Orange County Health Care Agency plans to launch a vaccine passport pilot program in April 2021, though some critics are pushing back against the plan. Source: ABC News, April 13, 2021.
  • California will not require an official vaccine passport for residents when it lifts social distancing requirements and capacity limits on June 15, Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly announced. Source: The Mercury News, May 23, 2021.
  • The state has no plans to institute a "vaccine passport" system, Governor Gavin Newsom said, again calling such a program unnecessary if more people get the shots. But he left the door open for possible new statewide health restrictions if cases continue spiking and hospital space becomes threatened. Source: ABC News, July 21, 2021.

Canada: Multiple updates...
  • Health Minister Patty Hajdu was asked whether Canada would be taking part in a vaccine passport program for international travel, as has been discussed with other countries. "Absolutely," Hajdu said. "First of all, Canadians need to be able to have the right kind of certification for international travel.” Source: WXYX, May 2, 2021.
  • Quebec plans to implement a vaccine passport system by September 2021. Source: Global News, July 8, 2021.
  • The Toronto Region Board of Trade is calling on the Ontario government to introduce a vaccine passport system for non-essential business activity, as European nations like France begin to make vaccine passports a part of daily life. Source: Campbell River Mirror, July 13, 2021.
  • A Quebec vaccine passport system could require Quebecers to show proof of vaccination to access some non-essential services. The move to introduce the passport has the full support of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Source: Peace Arch News, August 5, 2021.
  • Any vaccine passport for Ontario residents will have to be led by the federal government, according to Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli. Source: The Sault Star, August 6, 2021.
  • The country is preparing a COVID-19 vaccine passport for international travel. The rollout is expected in the fall of 2021, though an exact date and details are pending as of this writing. Source: Newsweek, August 11, 2021.
  • The Canadian government will soon require all air travelers and passengers on interprovincial trains to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Source: CNBC, August 13, 2021.
  • Canada will unveil plans on October 21, 2021, for a vaccine passport, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laying out how the proof-of-vaccination method will be implemented. SourceVancouver Sun, October 21, 2021.
  • Canada's federal government, as expected, unveiled on its long-promised standardized vaccine passport for COVID-19, although it remains unclear when the passport will launch. Source: Coast Reporter, October 21, 2021.
  • Quebec's vaccine passport will soon require three doses. The passport is required to enter government alcohol and cannabis retailers, as well as restaurant dining rooms, bars, and other environments that are presently closed.  Source: CTV News, January 12, 2022.
  • Quebec health minister Christian Dube has floated the idea of suspending the vaccine passport program, depending on infection rates — but not everyone is on board. Source: CVT News, February 13, 2022.
  • Ontario has lifted vaccine passport rules for travelers arriving in Canada. Source: CTV News, February 27, 2022.
  • In Quebec, it is no longer necessary to show a vaccination passport to enter restaurants, movie theaters, bars and other public places. Source: CTV News, March 12, 2022.

Connecticut (United States): Multiple updates...
  • Could a digital COVID-19 vaccine passport be coming to Connecticut? The Lamont administration is considering the idea, similar to New York’s Excelsior Pass. Source: NBC, September 14, 2021.
  • . Connecticut Vaccine Passport: Connecticut is getting ready to roll out a digital vaccine health card. Some call it a passport, but the governor says it's not mandated by the state. However, businesses can require proof of vaccination. The app is called Smart Health. There is a contract with a company called Envision, which is being paid $60,000, to build a program and maintain it. Source: WFSB, December 17, 2021.

Disney Cruise Line: Disney Cruise Line has joined Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian in planning to require COVID vaccines for passengers 12 and older. Source: The Miami Herald, August 24, 2021.

Estonia: The Republic of Estonian Government announced it had gone live with VaccineGuard to support the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and extend its vaccination program with secure and internationally verifiable certificates ensuring the attestation of reliable vaccination with authentic vaccines. Source: Vax Before Travel, April 30, 2021.
European Union: Multiple updates...
  • Two of Europe’s biggest airlines, British Airways and budget carrier Ryanair Holdings, have started allowing fliers to provide Covid-19 vaccination and test-result details alongside personal data, like passport numbers and visa information, during bookings. The airlines say the move will eventually help passengers show they have been inoculated when landing at destinations that have started to welcome vaccinated travelers. Source: The Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2021.
  • Airlines are resisting early European Union plans that could push some of the costs and responsibility for implementing vaccination passports onto the industry. The EU is moving ahead with plans to roll out a “Digital Green Certificate”—a document to store Covid-19 information such as vaccination records and test results. Governments, airports and airlines hope that will spur travel across the bloc by making it easier to check if passengers have been inoculated. Source: The Wall Street Journal, April 3, 2021.
  • American tourists who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to visit the European Union by mid-2021, the head of the bloc's executive body said. Source: The New York Times, April 25, 2021.
  • Here's a closer look at how the European Union developed a vaccine passport. Source: TechHQ, June 2, 2021.
  • The European Union’s digital vaccine passport system is now live in seven countries, ahead of a full launch for all 27 member states on July 1. Source: MIT Technology Review, June 2, 2021.
  • The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged countries around the world to adopt the European Union’s Digital Covid Certificate as the global standard for vaccine certification. Source: Bloomberg, August 26, 2021.
  • The European Commission said COVID vaccine certificates in the bloc would only be valid for nine months without a booster shot. Source: DW, December 21, 2021.


Florida (United States): Multiple updates...
  • Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order banning the use of Covid-19 passports in the state. The order prohibits any government entity from issuing vaccine passports and blocks businesses from requiring any such documentation. DeSantis cited freedom and privacy concerns as the primary basis for the action, arguing that the implementation and enforcement of vaccine passports would "create two classes of citizens based on vaccinations." Source: CNN, April 3, 2021.
  • A House committee approved a proposal that would limit local emergency orders and make permanent Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order barring COVID-19 “passports” that would show people have been vaccinated. Source: The Orlando Sun Sentinel, April 19, 2021.
  • The Florida House approved a measure that would limit local emergency orders and make permanent Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order barring COVID-19 vaccine passports. Source: Fox 13, April 28, 2021.
  • Norwegian Cruise Line could bypass Florida ports because of the state's new edict banning businesses from requiring patrons to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Source: CBS News, May 7, 2021.
  • More cruise lines are getting the green light to enter the test cruise phase, but a dispute with Florida's governor over vaccine passports could keep ships from setting sail in Florida this summer. Source: NBC, June 2, 2021.
  • Norwegian Cruise Lines is suing Florida after the state banned vaccine passports, saying it cannot safely resume sailings without ensuring its passengers and crew are vaccinated against COVID-19. Source: ABC News, July 13, 2021.
  • Norwegian Cruise Line argued to a federal judge on August 6, 2021, that Florida had banned "vaccine passports" to score political points and said the company should be allowed to require proof of COVID-19 shots from passengers when it sails from the state in August 2021. Source: Reuters, August 6, 2021.
  • A federal judge on August 8 sided with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in a constitutional challenge to Florida’s ban on so-called “vaccine passports,” clearing the way for the company to require passengers to show documentation that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Source: WFSU, August 9, 2021.
  • Disney Cruise Line has joined Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian in planning to require COVID vaccines for passengers 12 and older. Source: The Miami Herald, August 24, 2021.

France: Multiple updates...
  • The country has started to trial short flights with a tracing app updated to host records of shots and tests, on short flights. Source: Bloomberg, April 28, 2021.
  • Multiple protester groups are united against France’s new system of vaccine passes, which was announced with much fanfare by the government on July 12 and is gradually coming into effect. Source: The New York Times, August 3, 2021.
  • Firefighters led a protest in Marseilles, France, two days before the nation's vaccine passport policy goes into effect on August 9, 2021. The policy calls for people to be vaccinated in order to use public transportation or attend public venues including cinemas and cafes. Source: Newsweek, August 7, 2021.

Continue to page two for more vaccine passport updates from various countries, states and organizations. Updates sorted alphabetically. Welcome to page two of our vaccine passport updates from various countries, states and organizations. Updates sorted alphabetically.
Georgia (United States:): Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive prohibiting state agencies, state service providers, and state properties from requiring COVID-19 vaccine passports. Source: Clayton News Daily, May 25, 2021.
Hawaii (United States): Multiple updates...
  • Governor David Ige said state os looking into piloting a possible safe travels vaccine passport. Source: Khon2, April 5, 2021.
  • Governor Ige’s latest emergency proclamation for COVID-19 includes detailed plans for a vaccine passport provision. The proclamation said those who are fully vaccinated would be able to avoid quarantine and COVID-19 testing when flying to Hawaii by uploading valid vaccination documents to Safe Travels. The vaccine passport provision will go into effect only if it is approved by the director of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. Ige did not provide a timeline for when this will become available. Source: Honolulu Civil Beat, April 10, 2021.
  • Hawaii residents traveling inter-island may be the first users in the state of a so-called vaccine passport program that is expected to rollout in the next several weeks. Source: Honolulu Civil Beat, April 19, 2021.
  • Governor David Ige expects vaccine passport to expand to all U.S. visitors by summer 2021. Starting May 11 travelers with proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 will be able to travel between Hawaiian islands without testing or quarantine restrictions, but only if they were vaccinated within the Aloha State. Source: Travel Weekly, April 26, 2021.
  • Hawaii's vaccine passport program for inter-island travel has begun. Source: U.S. News & World Report, May 11, 2021.
  • Starting July 8, Hawaii will allow travelers vaccinated on the mainland to skip quarantine without getting a COVID test ― in a major step toward fully reopening the state. Source: Hawaii News Now, June 24, 2021.

Hungary: The country will pursue bilateral agreements recognizing COVID-19 vaccine certificates that would allow citizens to travel among participating countries, the prime minister's chief of staff said. Source: Reuters, April 29, 2021.

Illinois (United States): Chicago's top doctor says the city is moving closer to announcing a bigger reopening plan, and a vaccine passport is likely to be part of it. The "Vax Pass" would give those who are fully vaccinated access to summer events in the city. Source: ABC Affiliate, April 27, 2021.
India: Vaccine passports will be disadvantageous for people of the developing countries as their vaccine coverage is far less than that of the developed countries, India's health minister said at a G7 meeting. Source: The Hindustan Times, June 4, 2021.
Iowa (United States): Multiple updates...
  • Iowa governments would be barred from issuing "vaccine passports" to people as proof they have received COVID-19 vaccinations, and businesses and venues open to the public could face penalties if they require immunization proof under a bill legislators are proposing. Source: Quad-City Times, April 25, 2021.
  • A bill banning vaccine passport requirement has passed in the Commerce committee, and now heads to Senate floor. Source: CBS Affiliate, April 27, 2021.
  • Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds tweeted she looks forward to signing a bill approved by state lawmakers to ban the use of vaccine passports in certain situations. Source: Local CBS Affiliate, May 6, 2021.
  • Governor Kim Reynolds has signed into law a bill barring government entities, private businesses and venues open to the public from requiring Iowans to present so-called “vaccine passports” as proof they’ve received COVID-19 vaccinations. Source: SouthernMinn.com, May 22, 2021.

Ireland: Northern Ireland's vaccine passport scheme is expected to be live on or by July 19, in line with the EU Digital COVID Certificate in the Republic of Ireland. Source: Irish Central, June 24, 2021.
Israel: Multiple updates...
  • Israelis in possession of a “Green Pass” -- certificate of presumed COVID-19 immunity, displayed on an Israeli Health Ministry app -- will be allowed entry to leisure facilities such as gyms and hotels. Source: Reuters, February 15, 2021.
  • The Green Pass is given to any person who has been vaccinated for COVID-19 or recovered from COVID-19. It serves as a mandatory entry permit to certain places according to guidance. Source: Israel, February 17, 2021.
  • Israel and Bahrain reached what Israel calls the world's first bilateral agreement for mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccine passports for quarantine-free travel between two countries.  Source: NPR, April 22, 2021.
  • Israel has extended its Covid-19 vaccine passport system to children who aren’t yet eligible to be inoculated, allowing them to visit cinemas, restaurants and other entertainment businesses as it continues to reopen its economy. Under the program, children with negative PCR tests will be eligible for a three-day so-called green passport that will be associated with their parents’ passes. The passports take the form of a QR code that can be carried on a smartphone, though their use isn’t always enforced. Source: The Wall Street Journal, May 1, 2021.

Italy: The country has agreed to ease COVID-19 quarantine rules for travelers who have vaccine passports issued by Japan. Source: Kyodo News, July 20, 2021.

Japan: Multiple updates...
  • The country plans to introduce "vaccine passports" to make it easier for people who have been inoculated against COVID-19 to travel internationally, government sources said. Source: KYODO News, April 29, 2021.
  • The country is making arrangements for its COVID-19 vaccination passports to be accepted by over 10 nations, including Italy, France and Greece, after the certificate program begins in late July. Source: KYODO News, July 4, 2021.
  • Japan will start accepting applications for so-called vaccine passports from July 26 for people who have been fully inoculated against COVID-19 to travel internationally, the top government spokesman said. Source: Japan Times, July 12, 2021.
  • Five countries including Italy and Turkey have agreed to ease COVID-19 quarantine rules for travelers who have vaccine passports issued by Japan. Source: Kyodo News, July 20, 2021.
  • Japan has added 10 regions and countries, including Germany and Hong Kong, to its list of places where residents who have obtained vaccine passports will be met with eased entry restrictions. Source: Japan Times, August 3, 2021.

Kansas (United States): Lawmakers sent Governor Laura Kelly a budget package on May 7 that bans vaccine passports after a back-and-forth over whether the state should go further in limiting the controversial technology. Source: The Garden City Telegram, May 7, 2021.
Korea: The government said it would adopt a vaccine passport in April, though some officials are skeptical of the plan. Source: Korea Biomedical Review, April 9, 2021.
Louisiana (United States): Multiple updates...
  • State leaders are weighing in on the possibility of businesses or airlines requiring people to carry around a vaccine passport. Source: WAFB9, April 6, 2021.
  • States lawmakers are backing a bill that would outlaw vaccine passports. Source: Associated Press, April 27, 2021.
  • New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has implemented a citywide COVID-19 vaccine mandate for public activities.  Residents and visitors will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test occurring within 72 hours to enter restaurants, bars, gyms, fitness classes, pool halls, arcades, skating rinks, indoor playgrounds and entertainment spaces, certain large outdoor events and other places. Source: The Center Square, August 13, 2021.

Minnesota (United States): A bill, known as SF 1589 aims to ban forced COVID-19 vaccinations, forced digital contact tracing, and required proof of COVID-19 vaccination before entering a government business. Source: SouthernMinn, April 5, 2021.
Missouri (United States): A push to provide greater oversight over local health orders and ban vaccine passports was renewed last week when the Missouri Senate tacked both proposals onto a sprawling bill on local government issues. Source: The Missourian, May 1, 2021.
Montana (United States): Governor Greg Gianforte issued an executive order banning the development or use of vaccine passports in Montana. Source: Associated Press, April 13, 2021.
Continue to page three for more vaccine passport updates from various countries, states and organizations. Updates sorted alphabetically. Welcome to page three of our vaccine passport updates from various countries, states and organizations. Updates sorted alphabetically.
New Hampshire (United States): The state is not developing or requiring vaccine passports, but a proposed legislative measure would prohibit state government from requiring people to receive the vaccine or possess the passport. Source: Associated Press, April 27, 2021.
New York (United States): Multiple updates...
  • The Excelsior Pass allows New Yorkers to upload their official coronavirus results—from a number of different vaccination sites and labs—into the system to verify that the person holding the pass meets the standards to enter a venue for mass gatherings. Source: Conde Nast Traveller, April 2, 2021.
  • Vaccine passports will no longer be required in New York City starting on March 7. Source: New York Post, February 27, 2022.

New Jersey (United States): Senator Michael Testa introduced legislation that would bar a Vaccine Passport from being mandated in New Jersey. Source: Insider New Jersey, April 19, 2021.
North Carolina (United States): Sixty-five North Carolina House Republicans sent a letter to Governor Roy Cooper opposing a vaccine passport or any other form of government-required identification to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Source: WCNC, April 21, 2021.
Oregon (United States): Oregon is thinking about adopting a digital passport that can allow citizens to show proof of vaccination easily. However, the state doesn't know what kind of technology would be employed. Source: Government Technology, September 7, 2021.

Pennsylvania (United States): Multiple updates...
  • Public health officials in Pennsylvania say they will not follow in New York’s footsteps and adopt vaccine passports. Rather, acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said during a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting that the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force sees easing hesitancy as its most urgent priority. Source: WFMZ-TV 69 News, April 26, 2021.
  • The Pennsylvania Senate has passed a bill to ban vaccine passports. Source: KDKA, June 10, 2021.

Salesforce Dreamforce 2021 (United States Conferences): Salesforce Dreamforce 2021 attendees will need to be fully vaccinated to enter U.S. conferences in San Francisco and New York, the cloud CRM software provider says.
Software: TrustGrid announced a new use case for its platform to provide citizens with a secure digital vaccine passport that can be stored on their smartphone. TrustGrid has been used for the last five years by the Australian state government to secure a digital driver's license ecosystem. Designed using distributed ledger technology, TrustGrid is an opt-in system where citizens can authenticate their identity and vaccination status and receive a QR code to show as proof of vaccination. Any personal information is encrypted and stored in such a way that it is inaccessible without permission. Source: TrustGrid, April 26, 2021.
South Carolina (United States): Multiple updates...
    • In a tweet, Governor Henry McMaster said “Vaccine passports will have no place in South Carolina. The very idea un-American to its core.” Source: ABC News, April 5, 2021.
    • Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) and members of the South Carolina congressional delegation penned a letter strongly opposing the use of vaccine passports in the state. Source: Congresswoman Nancy Mace, April 5, 2021.
    • Governor Henry McMaster issued a coronavirus mandate that bans the use of vaccine passports in the state. Source: NPR, May 12, 2021.

South Dakota (United States): Governor Kristi Noem issued an executive preemptively banning federal government-mandated vaccine passports in South Dakota. Source: Star Herald, April 22, 2021.

Taiwan: Taiwan is in talks with international bodies about COVID-19 vaccine passports, the head of its Centres for Disease Control said, which could help ease long-standing travel restrictions. Source: Reuters, June 24, 2021.
Tennessee (United States): Governor Bill Lee on April 6, 2021 took to social media to oppose any kind of legislation calling for a vaccine passport mandate. Source: WHJL, April 6, 2021.
Texas (United States): Multiple updates...
  • Texas government agencies and political subdivisions will not be allowed to create a so-called “vaccine passport” requirement, according to a an Executive Order filed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Source: KHOU 11, April 6, 2021.
  • Governor Abbott plans to sign into law a bill that would ban businesses in Texas from requiring proof of vaccination from its customers — the same day Carnival Cruise Line said its ships would require its Galveston passengers to prove vaccination. Source: Houston Public Media, June 7, 2021.

Turkey: The country has  agreed to ease COVID-19 quarantine rules for travelers who have vaccine passports issued by Japan. Source: Kyodo News, July 20, 2021.
United Arab Emirates (EAE): Vaccine passports are a long-term solution to reopening travel corridors, Dubai Airports chief Paul Griffiths said. Source: Aviation Pros, June 3, 2021.

United Kingdom: Multiple updates...
  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government will test out a contentious “vaccine passport” system — a way for people to offer proof they have protection from COVID-19 — as a tool to help travel and large events return safely. Source: The Associated Press, April 4, 2021.
  • Vaccine passports, or “COVID Status Certificates” as they are officially known, are being trialed at major sporting events in the UK, with the hope that mass events can open as safely as possible, and could provide a model for the future. But some critics are pushing back against the plan. Source: ABC News, April 12, 2021.
  • An open letter to Boris Johnson signed by more than 1,250 clergy from different Christian denominations across the UK says the “introduction of vaccine passports would constitute an unethical form of coercion and violation of the principle of informed consent." Source: The Guardian, April 17, 2021.
  • Britain plans to use a National Health Service phone app as its COVID-19 vaccine passport certificate that will allow its population to travel internationally this summer, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. Source: Reuters, April 28, 2021.
  • The United Kingdom’s existing National Health Service (NHS) app will double as a “vaccine passport” for fully vaccinated residents of England beginning May 17. Source: Forbes, May 11, 2021.
  • England's National Health Service on May 17 introduced a new digital credential for crossing borders. It’s only for people going out of the UK from England. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are not yet using the app, although the app could expand to those regions soon. Source: Technology Review, May 19, 2021.
  • Thousands of protesters gathered in central London on July 24 to protest government COVID-19 mandates and associated vaccine passports. Source: Washington Examiner, July 25, 2021.
  • Plans to introduce vaccine passports for access into nightclubs and large events in England will not go ahead, the health secretary has said. Source: BBC, September 13, 2021.
  • The UK should introduce vaccine passports for domestic use or risk being forced into another lockdown, former Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned. Source: The Telegraph, September 18, 2021.

United States (Federal): Multiple updates...
  • The Biden administration and private companies are working to develop a standard way of handling credentials — often referred to as “vaccine passports” — that would allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as businesses try to reopen. Source: The Washington Post, March 28, 2021.
  • GOP lawmakers and leading conservatives have decried potential vaccine passports as akin to intrusive surveillance tactics employed by the Chinese government, but health experts say this is overblown and that some form of digital health pass could be crucial in bringing a sense of normalcy back to the US.  Source: Business Insider, March 30, 2021.
  • The federal government will not mandate the use of vaccine passports for travelers or businesses post-pandemic, President Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told the Politico Dispatch podcast. Source: Axios, April 5, 2021.
  • Over 60 U.S. stadiums and other venues are deploying an app from Clear to verify people’s COVID-19 status, placing the New York company known for its airport security fast lanes at the forefront of a national debate over vaccine passports. Source: Reuters, May 3, 2021.
  • Three Republican Senators have introduced a bill that would prohibit the U.S. federal government from requiring vaccine passports. Source: AL.com, June 1, 2021.
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that the possibility of the federal government requiring vaccine passports for domestic air travel within the U.S. is “still on the table,” among other policies under consideration. Source: TravelPulse, September 19, 2021.

Utah (United States): In an interview with the Statesman, Governor Spencer Cox spoke about the challenges he's faced during his first 100 days as governor and confirmed that vaccine passports will not be coming from the state. Source: CBS News affiliate 2KUTV, May 3, 2021.
World Health Organization: The World Health Organization will convene member states and leaders of Covid-19 immunization credential technology groups to recognize different vaccine certificates across nations and regions. Source: Polotico, February 24, 2022.
Wyoming (United States): Governor Mark Gordon issued a directive preventing state agencies, boards and commissions from requiring “vaccine passports” to access state spaces and state services. Source: K2 Radio, May 7, 2021
Stay tuned for more vaccine passport updates from sources worldwide.
Joe Panettieri

Joe Panettieri is co-founder & editorial director of MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E, the two leading news & analysis sites for managed service providers in the cybersecurity market.

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