'A Slippery Slope': Acting Mayor Janey Urges Caution Before Implementing Vaccine 'Passports'

BOSTON (CBS) -- Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey is urging caution before pursuing the implementation of so-called vaccination "passports" as a requirement for access to businesses and institutions in the city.

"That is a slippery slope," said Janey in an exclusive WBZ-TV interview set to air Sunday morning on the WBZ Sunday morning news. "We have to make sure first and foremost that the vaccine is available, that there is equitable access to it and that there is confidence in the vaccine."

Some economic sectors, including airlines and universities, are already warning customers they will need at some point to show proof of vaccination in order to board planes or attend classes. But Janey says "until we get to herd immunity we have to be careful about denying access to certain things. What we don't want to have happen is to see more disparity in terms of who has access to certain things in our city."

On other issues, Janey, who is serving out the balance of former Mayor Marty Walsh's term as acting mayor while she seeks election to a full four-year term this fall, said that while "I am certainly proud of my Roxbury/South End roots and will always have love for my home neighborhood, I love this entire city," and will seek to serve all its residents. Asked about a controversial new admissions policy for seats at the prestigious Boston Latin School that a group of white and Asian-American parents are seeking to overturn in federal district court, Janey stressed that the new policy is only "temporary" and will pursue permanent post-pandemic policies that will be fair to all city residents.

The former City Council president who became acting mayor upon Walsh's departure by virtue of holding that position also discussed her years as a METCO student attending Reading public schools and where she sees METCO fitting into future citywide educational policy.

You can see the interview Sunday morning at 8:30am on WBZ News.