Although President Joe Biden's administration is working with the private sector to develop a vaccine passport, a recent poll found that fewer than half thought it was a "good idea."
Just 44 percent of voters agreed "proof of COVID-19 vaccination to return to pre-pandemic activities" would be a good idea, according to a poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports. Fifteen percent were not sure; 41% said it would be a bad idea, the results show.
The survey of 1,000 U.S. likely voters was conducted March 30-31. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki discussed the passport's timeline: "It's currently going through an interagency process, we'll make some recommendations, and then we believe it will be driven by the private sector."
Andy Slavitt, principal deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, explained that government does not view its role as creating a passport or holding onto Americans' data. However, he said that the government will have a role in working out the details of any passport system.
"Privacy of the information, security of the information, and a marketplace of solutions are all things that are part of what we believe in, as for the ability for people to access this free and in multiple languages."
In New York, the state is already rolling out its own program, referred to as the Excelsior Pass. In a statement from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Excelsior Pass, according to Breitbart, "will play a critical role in getting information to venues and sites in a secure and streamlined way, allowing us to fast-track the reopening of these businesses and getting us one step closer to reaching a new normal."
According to The Washington Post, The Federal Health IT Coordinating Council met on March 2 to discuss the broader vaccine passport.
"Proof of vaccination for certain activities is not new ... What is new is that such proof may be a critical driver for restoring baseline population health and promoting safe return to social, commercial, and leisure activities," according to the Council's COVID-19 Vaccine Credentials Discussion.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who blocked passports in his state, said, "I think it's something that people have certain freedoms and individual liberties to make decisions for themselves."
He added, "[it's] completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society."
DeSantis expressed concerns about the infringement of individual freedoms and liberties as well as privacy implications implicit in giving personal medical data to private companies. "You want the fox to guard the henhouse? I mean give me a break."
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.