Vaccine Passports Should Be Banned in Wisconsin

The COVID-19 vaccines were a light at the end of a very long and isolated tunnel for many. For others, the vaccines were met with less celebration and more caution. Up to this point, it has been a personal decision to receive the COVID vaccine in the state of Wisconsin. Vaccine passports would take away that choice. Except for nursing homes and hospitals, Media Milwaukee urges the state to ban vaccine passports.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, what is a vaccine passport? In New York, where vaccine passports have already begun use, it’s a QR code that can be scanned by any business or travel service a person is using. The QR code is provided by an app that is updated with a person’s vaccine status and most up to date COVID test results. In Chicago, vaccine passports are not required, however, the idea of a “Vax Pas” has been circulating. Such documentation would give perks to those who are vaccinated like better seats at live events. Vaccine passports in Chicago would act as an incentive for vaccination whereas New York vaccine passports essentially mandate vaccination if you’d like to attend live events or enter certain businesses.

Now that we better understand vaccine passports and how they can be used, let’s examine why we believe vaccine passports should be banned in Wisconsin. Vaccine passports do not explicitly state that vaccines are mandatory, but banning unvaccinated populations from businesses or schools would, in a roundabout way, mandate vaccination.

If life is to “return to normal,” it is expected that you can go grocery shopping, attend a concert, or go back to school in-person. If vaccination passports are not banned, anyone who is not vaccinated may be prohibited from doing such activities. Thus, mandating the vaccine by proxy. We should not have to state how unethical it is for the government to enforce injections of any kind. Vaccine passports would eliminate a person’s right to choose medical intervention which is an infringement on individual freedoms.

We recognize religious objection as well as moral objection to the vaccine. While the vaccine is backed by all up-to-date scientific information, it was pushed through by an emergency use authorization and not yet approved by the FDA. In addition, not all groups of people in the U.S. have received equal or informed care by healthcare physicians or the government, historically and currently. We see all objections to opt out of being vaccinated as equal and valid.

We do have competing concerns as it would be equally unethical to exclude vulnerable populations from needed protections. Therefore, the board supports the ban with two exceptions. Vaccine passports, or equivalent proof, should be required in places where the majority population is vulnerable to fatal cases of COVID. These two exceptions are nursing homes and hospitals.

As a publication for the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, we would be remiss if we did not mention vaccine passports as a requirement for returning to campus this fall. The UW System does not fall into a category where the majority population is vulnerable to fatality, therefore we are against requiring proof of vaccination to attend in-person classes this fall.

Critics say the ban will cast doubt about vaccine safety and effectiveness. There are three reasons we believe this to be untrue. First, vaccines were made readily available to the public, ensuring that those who wanted to be vaccinated had access to such vaccinations. Second, those with a healthcare team may seek out advice from a professional if they require it. Third, if the ban raises questions, there are many resources available such as the CDC’s website or local and state public health department websites.

We still believe that COVID should be taken seriously. While there have only been 71 new cases in Wisconsin over the past 7 days that does not mean the virus is gone. Earlier this month, Governor Evers ordered all United States and State of Wisconsin flags to be flown at half-mast in honor of Wisconsin firefighter Josh Fedie who passed away on May 31, 2020, after contracting COVID in the line of duty. Fedie was 30 years old.

We believe masks and other precautions against COVID are a good idea. It should be up to each person to decide what is the best method of protection for themselves and their loved ones. Requiring vaccine passports is not the avenue to increased vaccinations, nor should it be. We urge all our readers to stay up to date as more information regarding vaccines is released from the CDC and FDA.