Immunity passports pose myriad social and ethical problems

Immunity passports would impose artificial restrictions on who can and cannot participate in social, civic, and economic activities, and create a perverse incentive for individuals, particularly those who can’t afford a period of exclusion, to seek out infection, posing a health risk to anyone they come into contact with. Both governments and individuals may be under pressure to return employees to the workforce, and immunity passports may lead governments to believe they have a quick fix that lessens the need for policies protecting economic, housing, and health rights across society. Immunity passports would also provide a new opportunity for corruption and implicit bias through administration of testing, certification, and the application process. Until a vaccine is available and accessible, the way out of the crisis must be built on testing, contact tracing, quarantine of contacts, and isolation of contacts.

Writer: Alexandra L. Phelan
Publication: The Lancet