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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Are states able to set their own COVID-19 vaccine documentation requirements?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

The White House on March 29 said it would leave decisions about requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations to travel or to attend events to the private sector and the states.

Responses to the idea of requiring digital or paper documentation so far have varied. On the one hand, New York State is already offering a voluntary “Excelsior Pass” for people to use as “digital proof” of a COVID-19 vaccination if required to attend concerts, sporting events or enter other venues. On the other, Florida’s governor has banned businesses in the state from requiring any documentation “certifying an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status.”

The U.K. government has said it will test a certification system. In Israel, a “green pass” from the health ministry is already being used by vaccinated Israelis to enter restaurants, go to the gym or attend cultural events.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Reuters White House sees no federal mandate for COVID-19 vaccine verification
State of New York Excelsior Pass
State of Florida Governor’s March 9 executive order on COVID-19 vaccine documentation
AP News UK will test vaccine passports
CNN Israel vaccination ‘green pass’ may offer a glimpse of a post-Covid future
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.