COVID-19 Vaccination Passports: Are They a Threat to Equality?

Abstract

In several countries, governments have implemented so-called ‘COVID passport’ schemes, which restrict access to venues such as bars or sports events to those who are vaccinated against COVID-19 and/or exempt vaccinated individuals from public health measures such as curfews or quarantine requirements. These schemes have been the subject of a heated debate. Concerns about inequality have played an important role in the opposition to such schemes. This article highlights that determining how COVID passports affect equality requires a much more nuanced analysis than is typically assumed. I identify a range of broadly egalitarian considerations that could be affected by the introduction of COVID passport schemes. While these schemes could undermine certain aspects of equality, I argue that they could also be used to promote equality. The magnitude and severity of these different effects, both promoting and undermining equality, depend on how precisely these schemes are framed and the local context in which they are implemented.

System for classifying antibody concentration against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 S1 spike antigen with automatic quick response generation for integration with health passports

“…The passport can be stored on a smartphone or other digital device and can be used by employers, governments, or other organizations to manage the spread of the virus by restricting access to high-risk individuals. From an ethical standpoint, it has been debated both in terms of privacy and legal concerns [1,2], and individual discrimination [3], and it has been proven to be a tool of vital importance in keeping the economy alive and society more secure [4]. A major consideration when designing such systems is data security, by storing COVID-19 status information electronically, individuals can have more control over who has access to their health information and can be more confident that their data is being securely managed.…”

Vaccine certificates for international travelers in future pandemics

“…And travel plays a key role on international business, trade, and tourism—critical aspects of global economy. However, COVID-19 vaccine passports, raise ethical concerns [ 5 , 6 ]. We set out our argument in a future pandemic situation such as the one that occurred in mid-2021 when, to ease international travels, and in addition to other control measures, many countries started to require a valid COVID-19 full vaccination course certificate to incoming travelers [ 7 – 9 ].…”