PICK A SIDE: Should vaccine passports be implemented domestically?
Published June 18, 2021 at 11:04 am
As of Friday (June 19), 65 per cent of Ontario residents have been vaccinated, including 75 per cent of adults, and 20 per cent of adults have been fully immunized.
Each of the past three days, more than 200,000 vaccines have been administered, and Ontario is well on pace to have the majority of residents vaccinated by the end of the summer.
But… that is dependent on everyone who is able to, choosing to get vaccinated.
Initially, Canada lagged far behind the U.S. when it came to vaccinations, due to the fact the U.S. was able to manufacture them and therefore distribute them much more rapidly.
However, over the last few months, we have surpassed our neighbours to the south, largely due to the fact there is a significant percentage of U.S. residents who are opposed to the vaccine.
While Canada doesn’t have as many anti-vaxxers, there are still Canadians who are opposed to getting vaccinated.
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In the U.S., in order to entice people to continue getting vaccinated, some places have begun providing incentives—from free beer to weekly prize draws.
However, additional measures could be on the horizon.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has suggested the Canada/U.S. border will initially open only to those who have been fully immunized.
Additionally, many countries in the European Union have begun requiring travelers to provide proof of vaccination before they can enter the country.
In Canada, while many expect they will be required to provide proof that they’ve been vaccinated for international travel, there’s also been discussion of whether a domestic vaccine passport will be required.
But should this be implemented?
Some believe, in order for citizens to attend events, such as concerts, sporting events, and live performances, they should be required to show their vaccine passports.
Those in favour have suggested it is unfair to allow those who refuse to get vaccinated to put those who have at risk.
Additionally, those who believe vaccine passports are necessary have suggested they will protect both residents and the health care system as a whole—they believe it would result in those who otherwise wouldn’t get vaccinated to do so, mitigating the risk of overburdening the hospital’s ICU’s.
However, those opposed believe it’s a violation of their rights, and that they shouldn’t be compelled to get vaccinated if they don’t want to.
Those who are against vaccine passports also believe it is an invasion of their privacy, and could present a risk of having their personal information exposed and compromised.
So, readers, what do you think?
Should we implement vaccine passports?
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