Psaki Explains What Role the Feds Will Play in Producing a 'Vaccine Passport'

Katie Pavlich | March 29, 2021 2:10 PM

Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday afternoon, Press Secretary Jen Psaki outlined what role the Biden administration will play in developing a Wuhan coronavirus "Vaccine Passport" as private companies plan to bar unvaccinated people from public events.

"We are going to provide guidance, just as we have through the CDC. There's currently an interagency process that is looking at many of the questions around vaccine verification, and that issue will touch many agencies as verification is an issue that will potentially touch many sectors of society," Psaki said. "A determination or development of a vaccine passport or whatever you want to call it will be driven by the private sector. Ours will more be focused on guidelines that can be used as a basis."

"There are a couple of key principles that we are working from. One is that there will be no centralized, universal federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential. Second, we want to encourage an open marketplace with a variety of private sector companies and non-profit coalitions developing solutions," Psaki continued. "And third, we want to drive the market toward meeting public interest goals. So we'll leverage our resources to ensure that all vaccination credential systems meet key standards, whether that's universal accessibility, affordability, availability, both digitally and on paper."