(This op-ed was first published in NEJM.org on May 31, 2021.)

As the Covid-19 pandemic enters its next phase, fervent desires to return to normalcy coupled with the rollout of efficacious vaccines have intensified discussions of “vaccine passports” — certifications of vaccination that reduce public health restrictions for their bearers. The Biden administration, the British government, and the European Union are currently considering their feasibility; Australia, Denmark, and Sweden have committed to implementation; and Israel, which leads the world in per capita vaccination, is already issuing “green passes” to vaccinated residents. Although travel eligibility has been the primary focus to date, some use of passports to regulate access to social and recreational gatherings, workplaces, or schools appears imminent; Israel’s green passes, for instance, permit entry to otherwise restricted sites such as hotels, gyms, restaurants, theaters, and music venues, and New York’s “Excelsior Pass” permits attendance at theaters, arenas, event venues, and large weddings.

(Continue reading the op-ed on NEJM’s page here.)