TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As more people get vaccinated against the coronavirus, there is more talk of requiring vaccine passports to travel.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking a hard stance against that.
“I want to make it clear in Florida — we are not doing it,” DeSantis told reporters Thursday. “Under no circumstances will the state ask you to show proof of vaccination. People are able to make decisions for themselves.”
But for the airline industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic, requiring vaccine passports, especially for international travel, could be what they need to get back to normal as it could restore consumer confidence.
Other parts of the world have already started testing out vaccine passports. In Israel, travelers have a digital green card on their phones.
“In order to get the airline industry back up in the air, give people confidence that they’re gonna be safe and comfortable, you’re gonna have something like that, but here in Florida the governor is opposed to requiring people to get vaccinated and to show proof that they have been,” said Dr. Jay Wolfson from USF Morsani School of Medicine.
However, some are opposed to vaccine passports, saying it could harm minority and low income communities, those who are skeptical about getting the shot or have less access to available doses.
“Under no circumstance will the state be asking you to show proof of vaccination and I don’t think private companies should be doing that either,” DeSantis said Thursday. “That’s not how you get society back to normal.”