President Biden signed on to a communique at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Wednesday, agreeing to “build on the success” of existing vaccine passports.
At the culmination of the meeting, where global leaders addressed economic, climate, and health issues around the world, participants signed a declaration that addressed, in part, ways to improve pandemic preparedness.
“We acknowledge the importance of shared technical standards and verification methods … to facilitate seamless international travel, interoperability, and recognizing digital solutions and non-digital solutions, including proof of vaccinations,” the declaration reads. “We support continued international dialogue and collaboration on the establishment of trusted global digital health networks as part of the efforts to strengthen prevention and response to future pandemics, that should capitalize and build on the success of the existing standards and digital COVID-19 certificates.”
Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said last year, “the government is not now nor will we be supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a credential.”
She added: “There will be no federal vaccinations database and no federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential.”
Assurances from the White House lack credibility, however, given Biden said in December 2020, as president elect, that he would not demand vaccines be mandatory. He reversed that position, of course, imposing them on federal employees, federal contractors, the military, healthcare professionals, and even private employers, though legal challenges have blocked several of them from being enforced.
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