Keller @ Large: Could Vaccine Passports Be A Future Requirement?
BOSTON (CBS) - Vaccine passports. A far-reaching proof-of-vaccination requirement? It's an idea the White House wants no part of.
"The government is not now, nor will we be, supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential," said Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary.
And while some universities and airlines are already requiring such proof, there's a fast-growing political divide over how far to go with it.
"I think, particularly for some private sector settings, it could be a really valuable tool," says Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
But Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas couldn't disagree more, promoting a bill to ban vaccination passports and even repealing some vaccination laws already on the books.
"Government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination and disclose private health information just to go about their daily lives," he said.
The division extends to the general public, with a new Morning Consult national poll showing 50% support for employers requiring proof of vaccination from employees returning to the workplace, but only 40% approve of patrons being asked to show proof before entering a business, and just 36% support a ban on unvaccinated customers.
And Jon Hurst, president of the Massachusetts Retailers Association, reported, "I have absolutely no members coming to me and saying we need a vaccine passport." Hurst said keeping the in-store mask requirement is enough for now until herd immunity opens the commercial floodgates.
"Consumers are not gonna come back until they feel comfortable, and I feel that they're gonna feel comfortable when they are fully vaccinated themselves and when they feel that a sufficient percentage of the population is vaccinated," he said.