Do You Support A Vaccine Passport In Connecticut? Take Our Survey

CONNECTICUT — As the coronavirus vaccine becomes more readily available and more people get fully vaccinated, the attention of governments —and the fancy and dread of the governed — has turned to vaccination passports.

Many people want to know that the other patrons standing less than 6 feet away from them in the club or sitting across from them on Metro-North have been vaccinated. Many other people strongly believe that information is nobody's business but their own.

Israel, a leader in rolling out the vaccine, was the first nation to implement vaccine passports in late February. Sweden and Denmark have announced plans to deploy their systems in time for the summer. This week, the White House has ruled out playing any role in a vaccine passport system.

Gov. Ned Lamont has said he envisions that local businesses will "take the lead" in driving acceptance of vaccine passports in Connecticut. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has flat-out banned state and local government agencies and businesses from requiring vaccination passports.

In New York, the state government took the lead and retained IBM to create their "Excelsior Pass." The pilot program launched Feb. 27 for a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center. Fans with the pass showed off a QR code that confirmed their negative COVID-19 tests. Gov. Andrew Cuomo later announced stadium and arena reopening guidelines that required spectators to receive a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of an event.

Assuming vaccine passports are embraced by Connecticut residents, and the initiative is guided by local business, a whole Brave New World of questions arises. If your favorite sports bar down the street is going to vaxx-check you before you can order your Schlitz, will you find a new bar? Or will a fully vaccinated clientele become an establishment's selling point, and attract more customers? Will there be a minimum concert hall or stadium capacity at which we won't be expected to flash our health credentials? Or will local comedy clubs be as strict as Mohegan Sun? Will it be more common for public school districts to mandate coronavirus vaccination certification? Or will private schools add "vaccine safety" to their marketing points?

We live in interesting times.

Proponents of coronavirus vaccine passports point to a card known as an International Certificate of Vaccination which has been standard issue for travelers to yellow fever risk countries (and there are surprisingly still quite a few of those). Here in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention manages the registry, holds the data and coordinates with its international public health agency colleagues.

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Critics argue that requiring vaccine certification to travel to Christmas Island on vacation is more than a few shades of difference from needing one to get into an NBA game, or ordering that Schlitz.

Patch wants to know how you feel about the topic. Take our survey below to let us know.