For some countries, access to Covid-19 vaccines has become a reality. Over thousands of vaccines have been distributed so far. Perhaps we will soon see that the majority of the world’s population has become immune to the coronavirus.

The hope is that with a vaccine, life will get back to normal – notably when it comes to travel – which has been especially hard-hit. As vaccines have been rolled out worldwide, attention is now turning to vaccines of another kind: vaccine passports.

In line with this, Real Research surveyed the public to understand the majority opinion about vaccine passports. Countries are looking closely into using technology as a capable response to COVID-19. Do you think people can travel safely again with the vaccine passport? Are vaccine passports already in use?

Highlights

  • About 59% heard about the vaccine passport
  • 55% of people agree with the vaccine passport adoption
  • Nearly 59% feel it will be safe to travel again with the vaccine passport
  • The majority will likely get vaccinated as vaccine passports get implemented

What is a Vaccine Passport?

A vaccine passport is also known as a digital health pass. It is a digital document which verifies that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19. But how would vaccine passports work? The app will enable airlines and governments to collect, access, and share encrypted data related to passengers’ Covid-19 test and vaccination status before travel.

People can download the app on their phones or devices. The data is presented as a QR code and can show if an individual has tested negative for a virus.

Last month, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the launch of IATA Travel Pass, a digital platform for passengers. In line with this, the Real Research survey data shows that 59% of the respondents heard about the vaccine passport. However, 41% of the participants said they didn’t hear about it.

Likewise, many people heard about the digital health pass that would allow people to travel for work or tourism.

The Majority Agree With the Vaccine Passport Adoption

IATA Travel Pass initiative is actually not the only one who is developing a so-called digital health passports meant to facilitate a return to the skies this year. The World Economic Forum and the International Chamber of Commerce have created similar apps — CommonPass and ICC AOKpass — to enable passengers to document their medical status electronically. Countries like Denmark and Sweden are starting their health passports, and even tech giants are looking to get in on the act.

So, when asked if people agree with the adoption of the vaccine passport, 55% responded yes. However, 18% disagree with the idea of vaccine passport adoption. Meanwhile, 27% don’t know whether they agree or disagree with the adoption.

55% of people agree with the vaccine passport adoption
Figure 1: 55% of people agree with the vaccine passport adoption

Furthermore, 59% of participants think that with the vaccine passports, people can travel safely again. Meanwhile, 19% said that even with the digital travel pass, people couldn’t travel safely. Moreover, 22% of people don’t know.

This shows that many people are ready for the adoption of the vaccine passport to be able to cross borders safely again.

The majority think with the vaccine passport, people can travel safely again
Figure 2: The majority think with the vaccine passport, people can travel safely again

The Majority Will Likely get Vaccinated

As COVID-19 also forced people not to travel, several companies have worked tirelessly to make vaccines.

There are now many COVID-19 vaccines in use, including Pfizer COVID-19 (BNT162b2) and AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccines. The first mass vaccination program began in early December 2020, and on 15 February 2021, more than 175.3 million vaccine doses have been given. At least 7 different vaccines have been authorized for emergency use.

However, some organizations have seen that the COVID-19 vaccine alone is not enough to travel safely. So, they created the vaccine passport for international travel to store passengers’ data about COVID test/vaccination as mentioned above.

Following this, 56% of the respondents said they would likely get vaccinated as vaccine passports get implemented. However, 19% replied that they wouldn’t get vaccinated even if the vaccine passports get implemented. Meanwhile, 25% don’t know whether they will get vaccinated or not.

Majority will likely get vaccinated as vaccine passports get implemented
Figure 3: The majority will likely get vaccinated as vaccine passports get implemented

As a result, the wound caused by the pandemic in the travel industry is deep. However, many people are ready to get vaccinated so they can finally be able to travel again. With many efforts to keep people safe, would vaccine passports work? Will they help make returning to the skies a reality this year?

Methodology

Survey TitlePublic Opinion on Vaccine Passport
DurationMarch 02- 05, 2021
Number of Participants200,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 18 to 65+
Participating Countries Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, AzerbaijanBahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar [Burma], Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.