美国阿拉巴马州签署法律禁用“疫苗护照”

周一（5月24日），美国阿拉巴马州州长凯·艾维（Kay Ivey）签署法律，禁止所谓的疫苗护照（Vaccine Passport）。该法案将禁止阿拉巴马州的企业、学校，以及所有活动要求员工、师生或参加者出示接种疫苗的证明。

（美国阿拉巴马州州长凯·艾维签署禁止“疫苗护照”的法律。）

该法案还将禁止州和地方政府把必须接种疫苗作为获得政府福利或服务的条件，但这并不适用于医师、外科医生、牙医、医疗机构或其他医疗保健的提供者。要求公立学校接种疫苗的法律也没有改变，仍将允许高等教育机构要求其学生或雇员接种疫苗，除非因身体状况或宗教信仰等原因可与豁免。

该法案还将防止人们因未接种COVID-19疫苗而被拒绝进入企业、大学和州立机构。但是，法律并没有规定对违反此法行为的任何处罚。

艾维州长发表声明称：“我支持自愿接种疫苗，我将这项法案签署为法律，是为了进一步巩固这一信念。”“我选择了接种COVID-19疫苗，很高兴它让我觉得安心。我鼓励阿拉巴马人都接种疫苗。“

该法案的目的是“防止社会形成基于疫苗接种状况的歧视现象。”

阿拉巴马州公共卫生部发言人说，新法案也并未禁止发行疫苗接种卡，但是“ 个人疫苗接种记录不能用作进入任何营业场所或营业地点的护照。”

美国其他一些州的共和党人也支持对所谓的“疫苗护照”的禁令，然而一些民主党人对此提出批评，认为这项法律是基于政治而不是公共卫生而签署的。

“您没有将疾病传染给他人的权利”，伯明翰民主党众议员玛丽·摩尔说。

夏威夷州针对岛屿之间的旅行实施了有限的疫苗护照计划，即允许完全接种疫苗的人跳过对岛屿之间旅行的检测和检疫规定。纽约州已经启动了一个数字应用程序，纽约民众可以下载该应用程序以显示疫苗接种证明或COVID-19测试阴性。

美国现有10几个州宣布禁用“疫苗护照”，认为推广新冠疫苗护照可能引发社会公平问题和对少数族裔和弱势群体的歧视。

美国公民自由联盟的斯坦利说：“人们确实担心，疫苗证书的产生可能导致过度使用，或对已经受到过度管制和监视的移民社区和有色人种社区产生令人心寒的影响。在一些合法的情况下，人们可以要求接种疫苗证明，但现在不是每个人都能接种疫苗。我们不希望疫苗护照导致最弱势的人进一步被拒之门外，无法充分融入我们的社会。”

美国公民自由联盟认为疫苗护照并不是坏事，但是关键在于如何处理细节，保护个人隐私。“绝不能允许跟踪或创建包含个人医疗信息的新数据库。另外，不是每个人都有智能手机，尤其是来自我们最弱势群体的一些人。”

白宫宣布，联邦政府将不会创建疫苗护照或要求人们必须注射新冠疫苗才能旅行或从事商业活动。白宫新闻发言人普萨基称："不会有联邦疫苗接种数据库，也不会有联邦授权的要求每个人获得的疫苗接种证书。”

Alabama Governor Signs 'Vaccine Passport' Ban

Gov. Kay Ivey has signed legislation banning so-called vaccine passports to prohibit proof of a coronavirus vaccination to enter a business, school or event.

The legislation by Republican Sen. Arthur Orr of Decatur would prohibit government entities from issuing “vaccine or immunization passports” or other “standardized documentation for the purpose of certifying immunization status." The bill makes exemptions for child immunization forms and “other applicable state law.”

The new act would also prevent people from being denied entry to businesses, universities, and state agencies if they have not been vaccinated for COVID-19. However, the legislation does not specify any penalty for violations.

"I am supportive of a voluntary vaccine and by signing this bill into law, I am only further solidifying that conviction,” Ivey said in a statement released by her office.

"I made the choice to get the COVID-19 vaccine and glad for the peace of mind it brings. I encourage any Alabamian who has not gotten their shot to roll up their sleeves, and if you have questions, consult with your health care provider,” she said.

Orr said the aim of the bill is "to prevent the creation of a discriminatory society based on vaccination status.” Orr said there are exemptions in the bill as to not interfere with school immunization cards and other vaccinations forms.

A spokesman for the Alabama Department of Public Health said the new act does not appear to prohibit the issuance of vaccination cards — such as those currently issued for COVID-19 vaccinations — by the state as well as other vaccine providers.

“Personal vaccination records provided by ADPH are not to serve as a passport to serve as a means of entry into any establishment or place of business,” Ryan Easterling, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Public Health wrote in an email.

Republicans in several states have backed bans on so-called vaccine passports even though they are not in widespread use in the U.S. Some Alabama House Democrats last week criticized the broad wording of the bill and said it was about politics rather than public health decisions.

“When does it become your right to pass on your illness on to someone else?” Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, said.

Rep. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, said that Republicans are choosing to dictate to businesses what they can and can’t do.

The idea of so-called vaccine passports is to have a document that shows you were vaccinated against COVID-19. Federal officials say there are no plans to make them broadly mandatory, but some Republican governors have issued orders barring businesses or state agencies from asking people to show proof of vaccination.

Hawaii has a limited vaccine passport program for inter-island travel that allows people who received their vaccine shots to skip testing and quarantine rules for travel between the islands. New York officials have launched a digital app New Yorkers can download to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.