“Common sense is not so common,” said the French philosopher Voltaire. Often what is plainly in someone’s best interest is resisted because of the messenger or a stubborn insistence on principle, real or imagined. Such is the case that is now developing around the so-called vaccination passport.
Governor Abbott of Texas has proclaimed that no private business in Texas will be allowed to require proof of vaccination in order for someone to patronize an establishment. That order is supposed to be in support of freedom but of course it contravenes the liberty of private enterprise to set their own reasonable conditions for doing commerce and could possibly put in jeopardy the lives of the employees and proprietors of those businesses. It also ignores that we already have health and safety regulation to prevent diseases and inspections as well as simple things like “no shoes, no shirt, no service.” We limit the public’s right to bring animals to places of business under the same principle. The idea that we would want to keep public spaces as disease free as we possibly can is not new and a request to see proof of vaccination is no different than being asked for ID when you purchase alcohol or cigarettes or when you go to vote or board a plane. The general public considers none of those demands for proof an unconstitutional intrusion on privacy because we recognize the desire to provide for the greater good behind those ID requirements.
The concept of showing proof of vaccination itself is not novel either. Already parents have to show proof of their children’s vaccination records to be able to enroll them in schools all around the country. Many places abroad require a regimen of vaccinations before you can visit their particular nation and often proof of a Yellow Fever vaccination specifically is required. We’ve seen the illness, devastation and death that coronavirus has wrought on lives, livelihoods, families and communities. Why balk at a simple “vaccination passport” being made available to those who want one?
Some airlines have said that they will require a negative Covid test or proof of vaccination before allowing people to fly. Certainly international travelers will have to show proof of vaccination regardless of what the policy of the United States is. China, Japan, Ecuador, the European Union, Britain, Ireland, Belize and others are already moving in this direction. Viking, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Lines have all indicated that to set sail with them you will have to prove you are Covid free either via vaccination or a recent negative Covid test. Ticketmaster has announced that they will follow a similar practice for concerts and events that they handle. Baseball season is upon us and some stadiums are instituting policies along these lines as well. Several colleges, including high profile colleges like Cornell and Rutgers, have announced that no student will be allowed on campus that has not been completely vaccinated.
The technology for proof of vaccination is available already. IBM has developed a Digital Health Pass that could serve as a vaccination passport. If state governments so desired they could issue health cards, similar to driving licenses, as a proof of vaccination document. The fact of the matter is in the next year or so as people begin to travel and take in concerts etc. someone somewhere will require proof you are Covid free. There are some restaurants in New York City that currently make you take and pay for, a Covid test before you are admitted to the restaurant. You have to come early enough to take the rapid test, pay for the test in advance in addition to whatever your dinner bill would eventually be and if you test positive for Covid you don’t get in to eat your meal.
If you don’t want to operate a motor vehicle you need not get licensed. If you don’t want to travel internationally you need not bother getting a passport. If you don’t want to travel or go to a ballgame or a concert or other event or perhaps some specific stores then you needn’t get a “vaccination passport”either. However, you already carry a driver’s license and show it on occasion without comment or consternation so what’s the big deal? Many places across the country will require proof of vaccination; it is a disservice for South Dakota leaders to categorically state that vaccination passports will be unavailable to those of us who want to travel outside of the State.
When I was a kid I applied for my Social Security Card for reasons that escape me now, probably a first job. Right on the card it says “Not to be used for identification”, how many times have you been asked for a part or all of your Social Security number as a means of verifying your identity? Times change and we change with the times because that’s the way life is. We’d all rather that the past year had transpired in a Covid-free way but it hasn’t. It looks as if Covid, like the flu and the common cold, is here to stay. Vaccination passports are a simple and convenient way to get back to normal, to help keep vulnerable populations safer and to give confidence to the rest of us that a trip to our favorite place of business or sporting event will not be a ticket to the after life.