On the same day the Biden Administration said it is working on developing protocols for vaccine credentials, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis threatened to block any attempts for businesses in his state to use the proof of vaccination as a way to do business.
Speaking today, DeSantis said the vaccine passports “have huge privacy implications” and pledged to take emergency actions to keep businesses from requiring proof of vaccine. Watch the clip below:
He also called on the Republican-led state legislature to enact a measure to prevent vaccine passports from being used. Whether that would hold up in court is another matter. One would think telling private businesses how they can conduct their “business” would be something republicans would be staunchly against. But the vaccine passports have become the latest culture war symbol for the GOP.
The White House said today it would only advise on creating the standards for the vaccine passports, viewed as an essential method by many for helping get our society back to normal. They could be used to gain access to sporting events, concerts and restaurants. Andy Slavitt, acting director for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the president views this as something for the private sector to take point on.
“We view this as something that the private sector is doing and will do. What’s important to us, and we’re leading an interagency process right now to go through these details, are that some important criteria be met with these credentials.”
One particular challenge in creating the passports is guarding people’s privacy. The White House has emphasized it won’t be storing people’s personal information in any federal database.