Clockwise from top left: Jeri Clausing, Rebecca Tobin, travel expert Gary Leff and Robert Silk during a discussion about vaccine, or health, passports.
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Countries are tentatively opening to international travelers as more and more people are getting vaccinated, but each has its own vaccination rules, document requirements and testing thresholds for entry. "Vaccine passsport" interests as diverse as the World Economic Forum, multinational technology companies, the EU and organizations representing the global travel industry are all stressing the importance of developing interoperable, open-source technology standards for health passes.
But how close are we to a health-pass standard, and what should travelers expect in the meantime? Senior editors Robert Silk and Jeri Clausing, and travel expert Gary Leff, who writes about frequent-flyer, points and business travel on his "View from the Wing" blog, discuss the thorny issues that surround vaccine passports and how to better enable cross-border travel.
This episode was recorded Thursday, May 13, and was edited for length and clarity.
Additional reading:
The vaccine passport controversy
International travel's current situation: Forms, forms, tests and more forms
European Commission lays out proposal for easing travel restrictions in the EU
Hawaii governor expects vaccine passport to expand to all U.S. visitors by summer
Gary Leff's View from the Wing blog