By Katherine Hamilton
News Breaks
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gov. DeSantis said he will be taking executive action against vaccine passports this week.
“It’s completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine, just simply to participate in normal society,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Tallahassee on Monday.
Essentially, a ‘vaccine passport’ refers to documents, either paper or digital, that provide health information such as whether someone has received the COVID-19 vaccine. Presenting that information will, in turn, allow the vaccinated person to travel and attend events. The idea of everyone having a vaccine passport has garnered mainstream attention in the past few months as vaccines roll out and travel companies eye future restoration.
The governor said vaccine passports aren’t welcome in the State of Florida, noting how they violate privacy and individual liberties.
“You’re going to do this and what, give all this information to some big corporation? You want the fox to guard the hen house? I mean give me a break,” he said.
DeSantis has previously made his position on the issue clear. At a March 19 round table event, medical experts backed up DeSantis’ sentiments, saying vaccine passports could erode public trust and harm minority and working class communities.
“So the zoom class or the lap top class have protected themselves through the lockdowns, while we have thrown the working class under the bus,” said Dr. Martin Kulldorff, who is a Professor at Harvard Medical School.. “Now to say those workers who had an infection — ‘they cannot travel.’ But the zoom class who had the vaccine — they can. That’s just another assault on workers in this country.”
DeSantis said he will be in touch with the legislature to begin working on an emergency order.
“I think that would provide a lot of certainty for a lot of people,” he said.