As the situation with the global pandemic continues to develop, we’ve seen a variety of changes made and other news announced.

So far, President Biden has indicated that the U.S. could have enough vaccines for all adults by May, and has directed states to make all adults eligible for the vaccine by May. California and Florida have already started to announce expansions in terms of eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine, and Dr. Fauci has indicated that COVID-19 guidelines could loosen by July. And, now we’ve got an update on “vaccine passports” and what you might need to travel or participate in certain activities in the future.

According to The Washington Post, President Biden’s administration along with private companies are “working to develop a way of handling credentials…that would allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated” against COVID-19. This is what has often been referred to as a “vaccine passport” or what some call “vaccine credentials.” Again, as the Post notes, these would essentially allow individuals to prove they’ve been vaccinated.

In February, we shared that there was already some talk of developing vaccine passports which could be required for international travel or large-scale events. It seems now, the effort to develop vaccine passports has gained momentum as the situation with the pandemic continues to develop.

As The Washington Post reports, some officials have indicated that COVID-19 guidelines could be loosened by this summer, and now a growing number of companies have said they will require proof of vaccination before opening up again. We have seen some companies indicate this already, like Royal Caribbean International whose guidelines for returning to cruising indicated that only vaccinated adults (and younger individuals with negative COVID-19 tests) would be able to board upcoming cruises.

The U.S. isn’t alone in this vaccine passport effort though. Other countries have been working on their own passport plans. But, U.S. officials say they’re dealing with all kinds of challenges including health-care equity and data privacy. They’re trying to develop a system that Americans can use to prove they’ve been vaccinated, but also want to make sure that the system cannot be easily hacked, that they are preventing against fraud, and that any passports created cannot be easily counterfeited.

There are also a number of different passport initiatives already underway to deal with. In fact, there are apparently at least 17 different passport initiatives underway such as one led by the World Health Organization and a digital pass being created by IBM. Officials have warned about the “confusing array” of efforts that are already underway to create these passports. If the approach to the vaccine passport is too chaotic, some warn it could be ineffective.

According to some slides prepared by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, proof of vaccination may be critical, however, to “restoring baseline population health and promoting safe return to social, commercial, and leisure activities.”

Some officials have indicated that they are concerned with making sure that low-income populations aren’t squeezed out. Micky Tripathi, who was selected by President Biden as the national coordinator for Health IT, said in a recent meeting, “How do we make sure that whatever is available is accessible to everyone so no one is left behind or feeling like they can’t participate in the return of their day-to-day activities?”

Some have indicated that these vaccine credentials could also help officials understand COVID-19 vaccinations better, including potential long-term side effects, if the data is connected with some health information.

The Biden administration is expected to provide more information about its efforts relating to the vaccine passport soon. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more updates on this situation.

Click here to read more about how vaccine passports may be required for air travel and other events soon.

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The post NEWS: You Might Need a Vaccine Passport for Travel and More This Summer first appeared on the disney food blog.