Do You Support Vaccine Passports In Ohio? Take Our Survey

OHIO — With more and more Ohioans and Americans being vaccinated daily — the topic of vaccine passports has been in the public discourse.

There are no plans to develop a vaccine passport system in Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday. Still, state Rep. Al Cutrona, Republican from Canfield, has introduced legislation that would prohibit the implementation of such a system.

Cutrona said vaccine passports would serve as a "restriction" on Ohioans' freedoms. However, Democrats have argued vaccine passports wouldn't be much different than providing a vaccination history to a school or business.

Other states are also moving forward with plans. New York is already testing the so-called "Excelsior Pass." In Texas, Greg Abbott has moved to ban state agencies or anyone receiving public funds from requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order banning them.

The passports would be a way for a person to show they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have recently tested negative for the virus. Passports could be required for air travel or sporting events, but would allow for larger crowds or more passengers.

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

For now, there don't seem to be plans for a federal vaccine passport program. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said there will be no executive mandate requiring Americans to have a vaccination credential, though private companies can set their own rules on vaccination.

"The government is not now, nor will we be supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential," Psaki said. "There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential."

Anyone who completes the vaccine series for COVID-19 does receive a paper record from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those concerned about the proposal have privacy concerns about health information getting leaked, which experts say is valid. However, a claim that the passports would violate HIPAA is not true. As The Washington Post reported, the law does not apply to the information itself but rather to covered entities like doctors or insurance companies who are not allowed to share a patient's medical information with anyone.