US considering vaccine passports for Americans traveling abroad
Premium- Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the Biden administration was not instituting vaccine passports from a federal level
The US is considering vaccine passport for Americans planning to travel aboard, informed Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Friday. Speaking on ABC’s 'Good Morning America', Mayorkas said that the his country was taking a close look at vaccine passports for international travel.
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Responding to a question on creating document for flights into and out of the US, the Mayorkas said that his department was taking a "very close look at that".
"One of our principles that has guided us throughout the pandemic is the value of diversity, equity and inclusion, and making sure that any passport we provide for vaccinations is accessible to all and that no one is disenfranchised, and so we’re taking a very close look at that. There’s an underlying point here, of course, which is: Everyone should get vaccinated," he said.
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However, the homeland department later said that there would be no federal vaccination database or a federal requirement for Americans to prove they have been vaccinated.
According to Blomberg, DHS (Department of Homeland Security) spokesperson Liza Acevedo said that Mayorkas was referring to work already underway to make sure “all U.S. travelers will be able to easily meet any anticipated foreign country entry requirements."
Earlier this week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that the Biden administration was not instituting vaccine passports from a federal level.
On Friday, Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the administration hasn’t changed its position but the "US recongnises that other countries have or may have foreign entry requirements."
She said that the administration would help all US travelers meet those requirement "but we will not be – there will be no federal mandate requiring anyone to obtain a single vaccination credential".
According to reports, the European Union is planning to open up travel for tourists vaccinated with EU-approved drugs, including those used in the US.
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