White House to Develop COVID-19 'Vaccine Passports'

The Biden administration is working with private companies to develop a proof-of-vaccination initiative, or a “vaccine passport” for Americans who have been inoculated against COVID-19. Several government agencies, including the offices of Health and Human Services, are coordinating with technology and travel companies, to develop the vaccine passport system, CNN reported Sunday. The vaccine passports could potentially be required for travel, live entertainment and sporting events and dining out, as a growing number of businesses say they will require proof of vaccination before reopening. The passports are expected to be free and available through smartphone applications, which could display a scannable code; those without smartphone access should be able to print out the passports, according to developers. This comes as the European Union pledged to release digital certificates that would allow for travel by summer, and as a digital pass developed by IBM is being tested in New York. This story received coverage cross the political spectrum.