Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Politico's "Dispatch" podcast that the federal government will not mandate COVID-19 vaccine passports for businesses or events.
Dr. Fauci said COVID-19 passports are being developed by private companies, and businesses will decide whether they adopt those tools with little involvement from the federal government.
"You could foresee how an independent entity might say, 'Well, we can't be dealing with you unless we know you're vaccinated,'" he said. "But it's not going to be mandated from the federal government."
The adoption of COVID-19 vaccine passports is currently not widely agreed upon among business owners and lawmakers. New York became the first state to launch a COVID-19 vaccine passport March 26, and the state now uses IBM's passport for sporting events and other large gatherings. A week later, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order prohibiting the use of COVID-19 vaccine passports in the state.