Fauci chimes into vaccine passport debate: No federal mandate

President Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said in a Monday podcast that the federal government will not mandate passports that show proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.

“I doubt that the federal government will be the main mover of a vaccine passport concept,” Fauci told the “Politico Dispatch.” “They may be involved in making sure things are done fairly and equitably, but I doubt if the federal government is gonna be the leading element of that.”

But the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases podcast said that he expects “individual entities,” such as theaters and colleges, may require them.

“I’m not saying that they should or that they would, but I’m saying you could foresee how an independent entity might say, ‘Well, we can’t be dealing with you unless we know you’re vaccinated,’ ” Fauci said. “But it’s not going to be mandated from the federal government.”

What this means: Fauci’s comments, which align with other Biden officials, may alleviate some concerns from conservatives about the possibility of a government-issued mandate to provide proof of vaccination for services.