White House Rules Out Involvement In 'Vaccine Passports'

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday the Biden administration will not be supporting a "vaccine passport" system that requires Americans to carry a credential. "There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential," Psaki said. She added that that the decision to employ vaccination credentials would be left to nongovernmental entities in private and nonprofit sectors. Some states such as New York, however, are establishing a digital app people can use to offer proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or recent negative test. Florida and Texas governors recently issued executive orders prohibiting state and local governments from issuing vaccination credentials; the orders also prohibit businesses that receive state funding from requiring proof of vaccination. Coverage from outlets across the political spectrum tended to highlight pushback from Republican lawmakers and states; some left-rated outlets also highlighted the U.K.'s ongoing debate surrounding a COVID-19 "passport" initiative.