Dr. Fauci Says Federal Government Won’t Mandate Vaccine Passports

Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that the federal government will not mandate vaccine passports for travel.

The announcement came as concerns arose about whether or not travelers would be forced to show proof of vaccinations to travel freely. The “vaccine passport” is a form of evidence that a traveler has received the complete COVID-19 vaccination. It was also meant to be a way for travelers to avoid required COVID-19 testing before arriving at airports. However, the White House is reassuring citizens that private sectors may require the vaccination passport but not the federal government.

“I doubt that the federal government will be the main mover of a vaccine passport concept,” Fauci revealed to the Politico Dispatch podcast. The nation’s top health official said that the federal government’s only involvement would be making sure “things are done fairly.”

Last week, New York became the first state to launch a voluntary app that allows people to upload proof of their vaccinations and negative COVID-19 test results. The app can then be scanned before entering into businesses. Next week, California will introduce a new policy requiring event venues to require proof of vaccination or a negative test result before citizen entry.

Other states are not warming up to the idea of making citizens prove their vaccine or test status before entering into establishments. Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis banned vaccine passports statewide, and his fellow Republican lawmakers in other states such as Arkansas and Montana are looking to do the same.