Do We Need Vaccine Passports?" New IQ2 Debate Podcast Episode

 Usually, we only ask about passports when that cruise to the Bahamas is approaching, and we find ourselves digging through our important papers to locate it.

Today, however, the word "passport" has become linked to the word vaccine. In essence, it's a credentialing program to identify people who have been vaccinated. Ironically, although the term has lit the fires of partisan grievance barbecues and anger-filled rants about constitutional rights, vaccine credentialing has been around for decades with childhood disease vaccines that enable children to attend school.

Vaccine passports engender complex questions with even more complicated answers.

Will you need a digital passport to prove you've been vaccinated the next time you try to board a flight or get into a concert? 

The idea is already being tested in Israel and governments around the world - including the Biden administration - are exploring what vaccine credentials might look like. For some, these digital tools are a golden ticket back to "normal" life. But for others, these tools raise dire concerns about privacy, civil rights, and equitable access.

In the new episode of debate podcast Intelligence Squared U.S., host John Donvan sits with Peter Baldwin, history professor from UCLA, and Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at ACLU, to debate the future of vaccine passports. Baldwin says vaccine passports are a good idea. Stanley disagrees. 

 

Listen here or on any podcast platform: https://smarturl.it/iq2podcast

This episode continues IQ2's series of vaccine debates, following the first episode on whether COVID-19 vaccines should keep their patent protections. The third episode, out soon, looks at whether employers and schools can require vaccines. 

 A non-partisan, non-profit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded to address a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics.

The award-winning debate series reaches millions of viewers and listeners through multi-platform distribution, including public radio, podcasts, live streaming, newsletters, interactive digital content, and on-demand apps including Roku and Apple TV. With over 180 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008. 

Unlike the partisan-filled rants of cable news networks with specific political viewpoints, Intelligence Squared U.S. enables a civilized and high-level discussion on thorny issues without the misinformation salad and low-fact dressing.