The Biden Administration is developing a national coronavirus vaccine passport scheme for Americans so they can prove they've been vaccinated when things eventually go back to normal.
Here are all the details on what exactly the scheme would mean...
The news comes after the President recently made an announcement that he hopes to have all adults who are eligible vaccinated by May.
Let's hope he sticks to his word because this last year has been the worst we've experienced in decades.
COVID-19 completely stole away 2020 from us...
And we've sadly seen more than 2.5 million people worldwide lose their lives to this deadly virus.
But it's true when they say...
All bad things will eventually come to an end... right? Well, we're hoping so.
In November 2020, the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved...
Getty
And, after months of world-wide lockdowns and quarantines, this news was music to everyone's ears.
The vaccine's developers - Pfizer and BioNTech - described the milestone as a "great day for science and humanity."
And, in December, the companies announced that they would be supplying the U.S with one-hundred million additional doses.
Spirits are high...
Because at least ninety-eight million people have been vaccinated here in the States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In order to combat the few vaccine skeptics, various celebrities and public figures had their jabs administered on live TV.
Former vice-president, Mike Pence, was the unlikely figure to lead the trend, with him being one of the first to receive the vaccine during a live White House broadcast.
And then our newly elected president, Joe Biden, quickly followed suit.
Folks, I just received the second dose of my COVID-19 vaccine — and just like the first dose, it was safe, quick, and painless.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 11, 2021
I urge everyone to get vaccinated once it’s your turn. Because only together can we save lives and beat this virus. pic.twitter.com/w1m8gEh2iL
After receiving the second dose of the vaccine, he tweeted:
"Folks, I just received the second dose of my COVID-19 vaccine - and just like the first dose, it was safe, quick, and painless. I urge everyone to get vaccinated once it's your turn. Because only together can we save lives and beat this virus."
For many, the success of the vaccine has signaled an end to the dark days of the pandemic...
But for a scarily huge amount of others, the positive attitude isn't shared.
​The internet has been rife with extreme conspiracies about the vaccine and its safety...
Whoever believes that vaccines are biological weapons should not get a COVID vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy is fine, we can cure that with education and information. But spreading misinformation, conspiracy theories, and lies--that's unforgivable.
— JR Santiago (@oslecjunior) February 18, 2021
Which, of course, has put a lot of people off from being vaccinated.
So many people sadly believe everything they read on the internet...
Instagram has shut down Robert F. Kennedy’s Jr.s account, claiming he was spreading debunked conspiracy theories about COVID-19 and the vaccines. @eriellereshef reports. https://t.co/i9rZzYvW4s pic.twitter.com/pq2I5jjq7M
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 11, 2021
Instead of listening to the medical experts who have been guiding us through this pandemic since day 1.
It's of the utmost importance to ignore these ridiculous rumors...
Because at the end of the day, the people who created these vaccines are professionals and they wouldn't allow something to be administered worldwide if it was dangerous.
Well, it seems as if President Biden has definitely been ignoring these rumors...
And he actually has very high hopes over the distribution of the vaccine here in the U.S.
So much so that the president has promised to make all adults in the U.S eligible for COVID-19 vaccination by May 1.
"All adult Americans will be eligible to get a vaccine no later than May 1st," President Biden said a few weeks ago in a national address on the one-year anniversary of the pandemic being declared.
He went on:
"That's much earlier than expected. Let me be clear, that doesn't mean everyone's going to have that shot immediately, but it means you'll be able to get in line beginning May 1st."
The announcement marks a sharp shift toward federal control over the pandemic response...
Because so far, individual states have largely been tasked with leading vaccine rollout and setting eligibility requirements.
So this means that although there will more than likely be a long wait for the vaccine...
It's definitely on the horizon.
And the Biden administration hasn't stopped there.
They're already planning on how we can get back to "normal life" as soon as most people in the country have been vaccinated.
It all starts with what is known as a "vaccine passport."
​As reported by multiple outlets, the administration is said to be working on a scheme in which adults that have been fully vaccinated against the virus can prove they have with an official "passport" of some sort before entering private venues such as movie theatres and offices.
The Washington Post further reported that 5 officials spoke anonymously to them about it and said they're getting companies to develop the scheme.
This is good news as it gives certain venues a way to open up again without the possibility of a deadly outbreak.
This is likely to be extended to other venues such as sports arenas, music venues, or restaurants, or traveling internationally.
The "passports" will likely take the form of a scannable code displayed on smartphones, private developers told The Post, while users without smartphones will be able to print the codes to carry around with them.
Let's just hope this idea helps us return back to normality, whatever "normality" is now.
In the meantime, keep scrolling for more news...
