Musings on Vaccination Passports
Apr. 10th, 2021 09:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebI've been thinking about vaccination passports throughout the pandemic and I still don't know what I think.
Pro
Economy
If we re-open businesses for vaccinated people only, then we can re-open them earlier than we could otherwise, which seems like a safe way to improve the economy.
(Sadly, we're just re-opening things anyway, before it's safe.)
Con
New Privilege
Vaccine passports would exacerbate a new category of haves and have-nots. People with vaccines would not only be safer from the virus but would then also get rights and privileges that other people don't have. So it would be doubly unfair.
Unfairness
In addition, existing privilege is correlated with this new privilege. For example, it helps to have good internet access, the ability to get vaccinated during business hours, and perhaps the ability to a few hours away to get there.some people's health conditions mean they cannot get the vaccine.
And some people can't safely get vaccines due to other health conditions.
And I've heard that some Black people are afraid to get the vaccine because of a history of evil treatment such as the Tuskegee experiment. Part of me wants to tell them, no, it's okay, everyone's getting it. But another part of me would not be at all surprised to hear a news story about, say, a batch of vaccine that accidentally got thawed too long, and instead of throwing it out, the company decided to divert it to a low-income or minority neighborhood.
And I've heard that instead of a cute booklet, which you might stamp with cute stamps for all your different vaccines, it's going to be some kind of electronic thing, which would require a smart phone, which not everyone has.
Black Market
Poor people would be incentivized to sell their passports to rich people who don't deserve them. This would mean those places aren't safe.
Except it's modern times so some people will be good at creating fake passports without even giving poor people any money (or, admittedly, taking their passports).
Inefficiency/Bureaucratic Red Tape
We're already getting vaccine cards. (Admittedly, they don't always fill in your name--you could put anyone's name in there.) You could use those, perhaps in conjunction with a photo ID, to achieve the same purpose.
Weird Politics
In the olden days, I would have thought that Republicans would be pro-passport or at least pro-differential treatment based on vaccination status (to improve the economy and to reward people taking responsibility for getting themselves vaccinated). And I would have thought that Democrats would be anti-passport (because of the unfairness issues).
But no. Because Trumpists are anti-reality, they have been making up stories about the evils of the vaccine and pretending the virus is no big deal to anyone who's not practically dead anyway, and they've decided that it's very important that they have the right to not get vaccinated. But of course, they don't want to self-isolate either. So they're actually anti-passport.
And now it's the Democrats who are willing to overlook the temporary inequalities (since there we have the policy of providing vaccines to everyone for free, and soon there will even be enough for everyone).
Pro
Economy
If we re-open businesses for vaccinated people only, then we can re-open them earlier than we could otherwise, which seems like a safe way to improve the economy.
(Sadly, we're just re-opening things anyway, before it's safe.)
Con
New Privilege
Vaccine passports would exacerbate a new category of haves and have-nots. People with vaccines would not only be safer from the virus but would then also get rights and privileges that other people don't have. So it would be doubly unfair.
Unfairness
In addition, existing privilege is correlated with this new privilege. For example, it helps to have good internet access, the ability to get vaccinated during business hours, and perhaps the ability to a few hours away to get there.some people's health conditions mean they cannot get the vaccine.
And some people can't safely get vaccines due to other health conditions.
And I've heard that some Black people are afraid to get the vaccine because of a history of evil treatment such as the Tuskegee experiment. Part of me wants to tell them, no, it's okay, everyone's getting it. But another part of me would not be at all surprised to hear a news story about, say, a batch of vaccine that accidentally got thawed too long, and instead of throwing it out, the company decided to divert it to a low-income or minority neighborhood.
And I've heard that instead of a cute booklet, which you might stamp with cute stamps for all your different vaccines, it's going to be some kind of electronic thing, which would require a smart phone, which not everyone has.
Black Market
Poor people would be incentivized to sell their passports to rich people who don't deserve them. This would mean those places aren't safe.
Except it's modern times so some people will be good at creating fake passports without even giving poor people any money (or, admittedly, taking their passports).
Inefficiency/Bureaucratic Red Tape
We're already getting vaccine cards. (Admittedly, they don't always fill in your name--you could put anyone's name in there.) You could use those, perhaps in conjunction with a photo ID, to achieve the same purpose.
Weird Politics
In the olden days, I would have thought that Republicans would be pro-passport or at least pro-differential treatment based on vaccination status (to improve the economy and to reward people taking responsibility for getting themselves vaccinated). And I would have thought that Democrats would be anti-passport (because of the unfairness issues).
But no. Because Trumpists are anti-reality, they have been making up stories about the evils of the vaccine and pretending the virus is no big deal to anyone who's not practically dead anyway, and they've decided that it's very important that they have the right to not get vaccinated. But of course, they don't want to self-isolate either. So they're actually anti-passport.
And now it's the Democrats who are willing to overlook the temporary inequalities (since there we have the policy of providing vaccines to everyone for free, and soon there will even be enough for everyone).
Many mixed feelings
on 2021-04-15 07:55 pm (UTC)The path we (Texas) seem to be doing is no vaccine passports, reopen all businesses and services to anyone who feels like showing up (with or without a mask, negative covid test, or vaccination). It sounds like a generally terrible idea that will have horrible consequences.
I suspect that the practical consequences are that fewer people (who could have lived, had everyone been sensible and logical and socially responsible) will die than we fear. But also more people will die who could have lived. Again. Still. And everyone on both sides of the political divide will believe that the outcome was exactly what we predicted.
So we all lose while screaming (in person or only mentally) at each other.
Re: Many mixed feelings
on 2021-04-16 01:41 am (UTC)It shows that covid cases have leveled out--still too high, but not going up like I feared. But Texans are barely 20% fully vaccinated, and the hubs are already not able to fill all their appointment spots, so that's creepy.
I'm not dying to change my routine much once my second vaccine ripens (May 18), but Robin really, really wants to. My goals are to sell some stuff at Half Price and to eat *inside* our favorite restaurant (with fresh, hot food!) as soon as we and their employees are fully vaccinated.
Robin really wants to travel. We may just visit my family in Indianapolis, without going into public much (and only with masks), plus try to visit the restaurant where the "Paige's Story" author works. Or maybe try to visit Tam in Carrollton (she started vaccinations before I did).
Stay strong!
In good news, no one is saying that we're NOT ALLOWED to wear masks. Which, considering some of the sick changes to election laws happening these days, is something we shouldn't take for granted!
So far as I know, everyone I know is not only getting vaccinated, but started before me (Travis beat me by one day!). (Well, except my one friend in Boston who got covid the week before he qualified to get the vaccine. So terrible!) So I don't know how to encourage more people to do it. I like to hang around super smart people, and it shows!