Marylanders Oppose Vaccine Passports, Worry About Privacy: Survey

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Some wonder if Maryland should require the coronavirus vaccine to attend large events. Supporters think an immunization check, or a vaccine passport, would keep crowds safe. Opponents believe the proposal is a government overstep.

Maryland leaders have not yet addressed the idea. It is just a hot topic as of now.

Patch still wanted to know what our readers thought. We invited residents to share their opinions in our survey last Thursday.

This was not a scientific poll that represented the entire population. It was just an informal way to gauge local sentiment.

A total of 2,056 readers filled out the questionnaire before we closed it at 5 p.m. Monday. The majority opposed vaccine passports and worried about their privacy.

Vaccine Passports

Nearly two-thirds of respondents said Maryland should not "mandate a statewide coronavirus vaccine passport to attend any large gathering."

Many opponents pointed to the immunization's status with the United States Food and Drug Administration. The FDA gave the shot emergency use authorization, meaning the inoculations underwent an expedited and vigorous review.

The vaccines are not FDA approved, however. It would take years and an even longer review to get this coveted vote of confidence from the FDA. Some respondents questioned if it was moral to require an inoculation that is so new and doesn't yet have FDA approval.

"People have been wrongly demonized for wanting to carefully consider if a vaccine is right for them," a survey-taker said. "Vaccines should be available to everyone who wants one, and it should be an individual, personal and private choice."

Businesses

Most passport opponents thought Maryland should ban vaccine checks everywhere in the state. About 94 percent of them thought businesses should not be allowed to ask for proof of immunization, even if they wanted to. The remaining sliver said establishments should have the option to use passports, but they should not be required statewide.

Passport backers contended that inoculations should be required at a variety of businesses. More than two-thirds of proponents indicated the shot should be necessary to enter:

• Restaurants
• Bars
• Gyms
• Theaters
• Professional sporting events
• Professional concerts
• Large ceremonies (like graduations, proms or weddings)
• Public transportation (like buses, lightrails, subways or commuter trains)
• Private buses (like Megabus or Greyhound)
• Long-haul trains (like Amtrak)
• Domestic flights
• International flights

About 60 percent of passport fans suggested the vaccines should be required at religious facilities, amateur sporting events (like recreational or school sports) or amateur concerts (like school orchestras).

Most proponents thought immunizations should not be required in retail stores, however. Many also noted that inoculations shouldn't be necessary for distanced outdoor gatherings.

"This is not the time for people to be selfish," one participant said. "Our state deserves to be back in business and the only way to safely do this is if everyone is vaccinated."

Schools

Most students cannot yet get the coronavirus vaccine, which is only cleared for residents 16 and older. Still, the debate is underway about whether the immunization should eventually be required in schools.

About 89 percent of passport supporters argued that schools should require students to get the shot when children are eligible. More than 96 percent of proponents declared that teachers should have to show proof of inoculation to return to in-person classes.

"It’s no different than children needing immunizations to start school," a respondent said. "I’m [a registered nurse] and have seen too much suffering and death."

Passport opponents had other ideas. About 90 percent of them believed students should not have to get the inoculation. Around 93 percent said teachers shouldn't have to get it either.

"Once it is fully approved, then schools, employers are within their rights to require it," one opponent of statewide passports said, again highlighting the shot's Emergency Use Authorization. "And it is within an individual's rights to decline and find another job or schooling situation. But showing proof to go to a ballgame, or Home Depot. That is too far."

Privacy Concerns

There was another clear split on privacy concerns. About 13 percent of passport fans worried about their privacy compared with 76 percent of passport opposers.

Around three-quarters of supporters said they would be comfortable showing their paper immunization document or a digital pass on their smartphone. Nearly two-thirds of proponents would be okay with linking their inoculation record to their personal identification card.

"I am required to have a valid driver's license to drive — this protects other drivers," a passport backer said. "I should also be required to have a valid COVID-19 vaccine — this protects people around me."

The opposition claimed passports would violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, also known as HIPAA. The law prohibits third parties, like doctors and insurance companies, from sharing a person's medical information without their consent.

Vaccine passports would not break HIPAA regulations, The Washington Post reported. That's because a third party would not share a person's immunization information. It would be a customer who willingly shows their inoculation record in exchange for admittance.

If patrons do not want to disclose their medical history, they would have the right to patronize another business or stay home. They do not, however, have the unabridged right to access any private establishment.

Whether the passports contradict HIPAA or not, plenty of opposers just distrust the government's intentions.

"Government couldn’t run a 6 person Sunday school picnic without screwing it up," a final opponent concluded. "Government doesn’t belong in [your] private life."

Vaccine Statistics

Anybody 16 or older can now get the vaccine at providers across the state.

About 1.4 million Marylanders, or 23 percent of all residents, are fully vaccinated. Another 2.2 million locals, or 37 percent, have gotten at least one dose of the immunization.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna inoculations require two shots separated by three or four weeks, depending on the brand. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine takes just one injection.

The state has doled out 68,807 immunizations per day over the last week. That's the highest seven-day average since the rollout began.

Maryland vaccinated 94,773 residents last Friday, setting a single-day record. Gov. Larry Hogan said the state has the infrastructure to handle 100,000 daily shots.

The governor expects this growing rollout to temporarily slow down, however.

Maryland paused all Johnson & Johnson inoculations on Tuesday after the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a nationwide halt. The agencies noted that six J&J recipients reported blood clots. One of those patients is dead, and another is in critical condition, CBS News wrote.

The state mainly uses the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, so this won't derail the rollout, but the pace may diminish slightly. Hogan hopes to restore full capacity next month.

The immunization has been available since mid-December 2020. Vaccine acceptance has improved among Marylanders since last fall, a Goucher College Poll found in late February.

Sixty-four percent of participants said they plan to get the inoculation as soon as possible or already have at least one dose. In October 2020, less than half the respondents indicated they would agree to a free, FDA-cleared immunization.

There is still some vaccine hesitancy:

• 15 percent said they will wait to see how it's working before they get the shot.
• 18 percent will only get the injection if required or will definitely not get it.

Experts have varying opinions on how many inoculations it will take to reach herd immunity. That is the point where so many people are immune that the virus starts to die off.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, told the New York Times that 90 percent of the country would need the immunization to achieve herd immunity. Harvard Epidemiologist Dr. Marc Lipsitch estimated that 74 percent would need the vaccine to reach this point. Lipsitch noted that his prediction was based only on math and not real-world behavior.

Coronavirus Vaccine Resources

Anybody 16 or older can get the immunization in Maryland. Read Patch's explainer to learn how you can get the inoculation. Use the state's search engine to find the location and registration form for your closest clinic.

Head to Patch's vaccine page to keep up with the state's latest immunization news.

Check Maryland's inoculation progress on its numbers dashboard. Follow the state's infection trends on its data tracker. For more information about the coronavirus vaccine, click here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Patch Editors Deb Belt and Elizabeth Janney contributed reporting to this story. All statistics are accurate as of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

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Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.