Department of Homeland Security says no vaccine passport plans, clarifying Mayorkas

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security says there won't be any federal vaccination database or any mandate that requires people to get a single vaccination credential.

It says there are no plans for anything like a US passport.

DHS made the announcement Friday seeking to clarify what Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said earlier in response to a question in a TV interview.

Mayorkas had said the agency was “taking a very close look” at the possibility of vaccine passports as the coronavirus pandemic eases and Americans begin to travel overseas.

A DHS spokesperson says the agency is looking at how to ensure Americans travelling abroad have a quick and easy way to enter other countries.

Mayorkas was asked on ABC's “Good Morning America” if there could be “vaccine passports for travel internationally, either into or out of the US”

He replied, “We're taking a very close look at that.”

He added that a guiding principle during the pandemic has been “making sure that any passport that we provide for vaccinations is accessible to all and that no one is disenfranchised.”

The DHS statement said Mayorkas was referring to “ensuring that all US travellers will be able to easily meet any anticipated foreign country entry requirements.”

It did not elaborate on how that would be accomplished.

And it did not directly address the question of vaccine passports.

Many conservatives oppose vaccine passports, calling them an intrusion into personal freedom and private health choices.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.