Public views about COVID-19 'Immunity Passports'

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The development of effective vaccines and increased confidence in natural immunity have spurred discussions on immunity certificates for COVID-19.
• These certificates, or 'passports,' aim to selectively reduce public health restrictions based on immunity status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate public perceptions of government- versus privately-issued immunity certificates.
• To identify factors influencing public support or opposition to COVID-19 immunity privileges.

Main Methods:

• A national online survey was conducted in June 2020 with 1315 adult participants representative of the general population.
• Respondents were randomly assigned to answer questions about either government-issued passports or private certificates for COVID-19 immunity.
• Data collected included levels of support, demographic information, political views, and personal attitudes towards the pandemic and immunity certificates.

Main Results:

• Overall, 45.2% of respondents supported immunity privileges, with a slight preference for private certificates over government passports.
• Support was higher for using certificates for high-risk jobs or large events compared to general work return.
• Support levels did not significantly vary by age, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, or chronic disease status.
• However, women, Hispanic, and other minority groups showed less support compared to white respondents.
• Personal desire for a certificate strongly correlated with support, while concerns about community social fabric correlated with opposition.

Conclusions:

• Public views on COVID-19 immunity certificates are divided, with no significant variation along typical political lines or individual vulnerability characteristics prior to politicization.
• Support is influenced by personal desire for the certificate and concerns about its societal impact.
• Reaching a social consensus on immunity privilege programs may prove difficult.