Vaccine Passports Are a ‘Terrible Idea,’ Says Florida Gov. DeSantis

Vaccine Passports Are a ‘Terrible Idea,’ Says Florida Gov. DeSantis
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Jan. 6, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Jack Phillips
3/19/2021
Updated:
3/19/2021

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that vaccine passports that require a person who is vaccinated for COVID-19 to participate in certain activities is a “terrible idea” and won’t get support in Florida.

“The vaccine passport is a terrible idea. We are definitely not going to require anything from the state’s perspective. That is totally off the table,” DeSantis, a Republican, told reporters on Thursday. “If I have businesses that want to do that in Florida, I think that that’s more than just a private decision.”

The idea of a CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus vaccine passport has been floated by some countries and businesses in recent months. However, critics say the proposal would be a violation of Americans’ civil liberties.

“Look, if you want to go to a movie theater or concert, all this stuff, go. If you don’t, don’t. But to require somebody to show some type of proof of vaccination, I think, is completely unacceptable, and it’s not something that we’re going to support here in any way in Florida,” DeSantis said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries not to use a CCP virus vaccine passport system due to how vaccines are being rolled out and distributed worldwide. Meanwhile, CCP mouthpiece The Global Times suggested earlier in March that the Chinese regime should build an international “vaccine passport” system.

“Chinese experts noted on Tuesday that China can help by sharing its experience with and provide technical support to the WHO to organize the issue,” the Global Times wrote. “As China is the most experienced country in using a health code system in the world while the WHO is the most proper organizer for the matter to ensure independence, fairness, and data security.”

China this month also launched its own “vaccine passport” system for Chinese nationals traveling internationally.

The digital certificate shows a user’s vaccination status and CCP virus test results. It is accessible via a program on WeChat, a Chinese social media platform, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, a significant number of Americans have expressed skepticism about the CCP virus vaccines. A Harvard CAPS-Harris poll earlier this month found that 41 percent of respondents said they are not willing to receive the shot.

“The single most concerning number in this moths poll is that 4 in 10 of those who have not been vaccinated do not want to take the vaccine. This includes 60 percent of Black voters,” Harvard CAPS-Harris polling director Mark Penn said in an interview with The Hill.

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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