Survey: Nearly 3 in 4 Utahns believe ‘immunity passports’ a good idea

MyBioSource.com, a biotechnical products distribution company, conducted a survey to take the pulse of the nation about the idea of immunity or vaccine passports. The study found that 70 percent of Utahns believe immunity passports should be issued as proof of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Nationally, 59 percent of people thought it was a good idea. More than half (53 percent) of people also think if they are issued, immunity passports should also state which company’s vaccine people received.

Interestingly, the research also found that nearly one in three (30 percent) people believe there should be an interstate travel ban for people who have not had their COVID-19 vaccine. While the idea of banning someone from travel based on their vaccination status might divide the opinions of some, it should also be noted that some countries have had immunization certificate requirements in place for a number of years for foreign travelers, to prevent the spread of diseases such as yellow fever and polio.

Also, 60 percent of people think professional sports teams should give preference to ticketholders who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. This follows the announcement that this year the Super Bowl gave away 7,500 free tickets to attend the game on Feb. 7 to healthcare workers who had received both doses of the vaccine.

However, the survey found that 42 percent of respondents say they would be concerned about privacy and data sharing if vaccine passports are introduced. Nearly half of those polled would be willing to share their data with Big Pharma if it helped improve the COVID-19 vaccine.

National COVID-19 czar Dr. Anthony Fauci recently announced that the federal government won’t mandate COVID passports, but the state of New York has recently introduced the “Excelsior Pass,” whereby New Yorkers will be able to access a code on their cellphone or a printout to show they have been vaccinated or recently tested negative for the coronavirus.