The measures come amid a wider Republican-led push to curtail public health authorities’ powers.
As Americans figure out what post-pandemic life will look like, some states are taking steps to ensure that proof of vaccination ― or so-called “vaccine passports” ― won’t be part of it.
On Tuesday, Missouri became the latest state to restrict when its citizens could be asked to show they were vaccinated for COVID-19. At least fifteen other states have limited or banned vaccine passports via legislation or governors’ executive orders. Some of the measures prevent local governments from issuing or requiring vaccine credentials, while others also discourage businesses from doing so. At least one state, Arizona, made an exception for healthcare providers.
Supporters say the rules, championed mostly by Republicans, protect individuals’ privacy and promote economic recovery.
In Texas, the new vaccine passport ban protects “individuals’ private medical information from the intrusive governmental and business-led mandates,” said the law’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, in a press release. “This legislation is a great example of striking a balance between our public health priorities, civil liberties, and economic freedoms.”
But opponents say the rules could harm public health and make a return to normalcy difficult for concert venues, universities and other entities hoping to require vaccination to avoid COVID-19 outbreaks. Cruise lines in particular have worried aloud about how they will comply with both…