The federal government will likely not mandate the use of vaccine passports.
"I doubt that the federal government will be the main mover of a vaccine passport concept," Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview with the POLITICO Dispatch podcast. "They may be involved in making sure things are done fairly and equitably, but I doubt if the federal government is going to be the leading element of that."
There has been much discussion about the possibility of countries and private businesses requiring people to show proof of vaccination before entering, similar to how some countries currently require a negative test result before traveling.
The idea has recently drawn some criticism from conservatives who say it is an example of government overreach. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has already banned their use in his state.
While Dr. Fauci said the federal government is not likely to enforce them, private entities and business may choose to limit or refuse service based on vaccination status.
"I do believe that there will be individual entities that will do that. There may be theaters that say, ‘You don’t get in unless you have proof of vaccination.’ There may be colleges or other educational institutions that do that," he told host Jeremy Siegel. "I’m not saying they should or that they would, but I’m saying you could foresee how an independent entity might say, ‘Well, we can’t be dealing with you unless we know you’re vaccinated.’"
"But it’s not going to be mandated by the federal government," he added.
California recently relaxed its reopening requirements to allow theaters and concert venues to reopen this month, but attendees must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
With vaccine access still limited, there are concerns that vaccine requirements could exacerbate inequality.
"Your job, your age, your income, your ethnicity – all of these play a role," in someone’s ability or willingness to get vaccinated, said Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian.
He said that reopening the economy is a priority "and we’ve gotta do that in a way that doesn’t disadvantage communities that are already struggling with the pandemic even more than the rest of us."
In California, Latinx residents make up 40% of the state population but just 19% of those vaccinated.
"The end game here is to get everybody vaccinated as quickly as possible, and to do it fairly," he said.
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