Nicole Ardila/Staff Writer
Imagine living in a society where people will be denied basic services and certain liberties based on one certain thing.
Well stop imagining, and start realizing that it’s happening today, with vaccinations.
The pandemic hasn’t gone anywhere, but Americans have traveled everywhere. People worry about travelers and believe that vaccine passports will control the spread of the virus, but it brings a lot of controversies.
After a year of being cooped up at home, people are eager to get back to their lives and travel places; especially with the lower airline prices this past year.
It may feel concerning that people are being allowed to travel during the pandemic, without knowing whether or not they’ve been vaccinated, but the truth is that the federal government will not be enforcing a vaccine credential mandate for American travelers or businesses, which is great to know.
While other countries are either already requiring some sort of identification of vaccination status, or debating on issuing one, the U.S. federal government will not be mandating it. White House Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, has recently announced that “there would be no federal mandate to be vaccinated against the coronavirus and no requirement to carry a vaccine passport.”
Currently, we’ve been taking COVID-19 tests before traveling, which I believe is sufficient, because all we need to know is that we are tested negative from the virus, and not a risk to others, before entering different countries. Some businesses have required temperature checks or symptom questionnaires before entering, which also works. So, why now the need to deny service to those who can’t or don’t want to get vaccinated, even if they’re testing negative?
Vaccine passports will create a division of citizens by denying them services based on whether or not they’ve received the COVID-19 vaccine.
Florida Gov. DeSantis has recently issued an executive order banning local governments and businesses from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
DeSantis is not denying the distribution of vaccines, he’s actually prioritizing those at higher risk. The governor is not putting anyone at risk by prohibiting these passports, on the contrary, he believes “vaccine passports will reduce individual freedom and will harm patient privacy.”
Vaccinations have been waivable in certain states for medical, religious or philosophical reasons. None of them have been imperative to partake in public schools or other daily activities. Gov. DeSantis highlighted that regular school vaccination requirements will remain untouched, but the COVID-19 vaccine will not be enforced upon Floridian citizens.
The governor also stated in his executive order, that “requiring these passports to take part in everyday life, will create two classes of citizens based on vaccination, and it’s necessary to protect their fundamental rights and privacies.”
Texas Governor Abbott has joined the list of states banning vaccine passports, as they “will continue to vaccinate Texans and protect the public health without treading on Texans’ personal freedoms.”
As Governor Abbott has mentioned, vaccines have always been voluntary, never forced. The choice to take a vaccine is a personal decision, and should not be mandated by the government.
Want to get vaccinated? By all means, go ahead, it is your choice. But I believe injecting something into your body is your choice and should not be regulated by others.
It is understandable that we are in a global pandemic, it may seem selfish for people to put themselves before others. But, if choosing not to be vaccinated threatens the freedom of people from continuing their normal lives, that isn’t a choice, it is a force by the government.
There’s an ongoing debate on whether or not Digital Health Passes (DHP) are lawful or ethical. DHP would allow access to people by showing proof of vaccination or negative test results in a phone app, to places that require them. According to Lawrence O. Gostin, J.D., they should be the least restrictive alternative. He also claimed in his article on DHP that “individuals who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons also should not be excluded from DHP privileges. Consideration should also be given to granting exemptions for genuine religious or conscientious objections.”
It has been noticed that even those who have been fully vaccinated, can still contract the virus. The vaccine passport allows vaccinated people to continue their normal lives because they’re a lower risk to others; yet can still get infected, which is not much different from those who are unvaccinated testing negative from the virus.
Vaccine passports may help track what percentage of the population is vaccinated, but it infringes the liberties of those who personally do not want to or cannot take this vaccine. People should not be given an ultimatum, having to choose between going against their beliefs to continue their normal lives, or living a life with limits just to feel safer without the vaccine.
Safety is not just being at lower risk of infection, it’s the feeling of having personal autonomy, where the government isn’t controlling what we can or cannot do with our bodies or lives.
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The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
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