COVID-19 Vaccination passports

I guess Japan has given into " control the flow of international travel ".

I don't really agree with this but this is how the world is turning out. You are either with us or you are not.

I think it's a logical step in times of a pandemic: either you're vaccinated, or you're not. If you are, you will be able to enjoy facilitated international travel. Likely, many other travel-related services (accommodation, sightseeing, conferences, etc.) will be tied to vaccination certificates.

Last week, it was reported that the Japanese government was seeking to have its vaccination passports accepted by over 10 countries while still requesting travellers from other nations to quarantine even when vaccinated.

It's very upsetting that vaccines have become such a polarizing issue. Consider this from the perspective of public health officials who are just trying to get a lid on this so everyone can get back to some semblance of normal: The only way for them to realistically address the spread of a pandemic long-term is herd immunity, and a large enough minority of the population had been convinced for whatever reason that they don't want to get vaccinated, meaning we'll never actually reach that goal.

In order to limit the amount of spread that can happen (as the unvaccinated are now experiencing a wave all of their own), either these officials (or companies that don't want the bad publicity of being an infection hub for the pandemic) are trying what means are left available to them, to protect the unvaccinated themselves.

I've seen some upsetting figures that around 30% of republicans in the US are still staunchly refusing to get vaccinated. It feels like the groupthink has shifted so far to the right that it just fell off the table. it was over 40% in March, so, progress?

International travelers once needed these, and I would have zero complaint or worries about their return:

I think our government would like to go with a micro chip or tat if they could.

When I've had to travel to certain countries, there were sometimes lists of recommended or required vaccines. If I refused to get those vaccines, I risked getting my visa revoked, or barred entry to the country. This is literally nothing new, and is clearly the result of countries desperate for tourism (or businesses desperate for patronage) trying to partially reopen in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. Turning vaccination into a partisan political issue only ensures that this will continue and get worse.

Uncle Frank said:

I think our government would like to go with a micro chip or tat if they could.

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I don't think this is helpful in a serious discussion about vaccination. The "satanic panic" nonsense about the vaccine is just as hurtful as the comparisons to the marking and treatment of holocaust victims, and this cartoon manages to invoke both of these outrageous narratives. There's no such system proposed and no one would support it if it were, so this is just hyperbole trying to drum up fears of oppression where there is none.

Editorial cartoons usually come about from a subject being discussed and considered by left & right wing , not often covered by CNN unless they can use it to dump on Trump and conservatives. You need to broaden your view with Tucker , Liz , And Don , LOL. As far back as 2004 , the FDA approved VeriChip Implants for a person's medical records. A group of MIT scientists funded by Bill Gates came up with the idea of an "invisible" tattoo saying you had the shot and that story went viral on the internet with many distortions. Having discussions here without bringing politics into it is really a "tiptoeing" deal and hard to avoid , but I try. It tends to insult and inflame. There are not many subjects in todays world that don't have a liberal/left wing side to the story and a rightwing/conservative side that can be miles apart. I like hearing both sides and then try to pick out what "might" be the true story. Usually here on JREF , if someone has a post I disagree with , as an admin , I try hard not to comment or take sides as it's rare you will ever change that persons beliefs or the way he thinks , no mater how much evidence you provide to them.

Uncle Frank said:

Editorial cartoons usually come about from a subject being discussed and considered by left & right wing , not often covered by CNN unless they can use it to dump on Trump and conservatives. You need to broaden your view with Tucker , Liz , And Don , LOL. As far back as 2004 , the FDA approved VeriChip Implants for a person's medical records. A group of MIT scientists funded by Bill Gates came up with the idea of an "invisible" tattoo saying you had the shot and that story went viral on the internet with many distortions. Having discussions here without bringing politics into it is really a "tiptoeing" deal and hard to avoid , but I try. It tends to insult and inflame. There are not many subjects in todays world that don't have a liberal/left wing side to the story and a rightwing/conservative side that can be miles apart. I like hearing both sides and then try to pick out what "might" be the true story. Usually here on JREF , if someone has a post I disagree with , as an admin , I try hard not to comment or take sides as it's rare you will ever change that persons beliefs or the way he thinks , no mater how much evidence you provide to them.

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What I was decrying was the fact that this had become political in the first place, and that if one "side" has a position on a given topic, the other side must naturally believe the exact opposite, and come up with some reasoning to justify their opposition. Confirmation bias leads people to pick up all kinds of random excuses to believe what they already want. Cherry-picking data or half-truths and then overlaying conspiratorial thinking or projecting dark intentions on others only further wedges the two sides apart. So, if the left is now the party supporting science and vaccines, the right must be against those things? I don't like that narrative, and wish off that particular ride before it makes us all sick.

I tried looking up these things you mentioned and almost all of the articles were clearly biased editorials without any citations (or circular, self-affirming sources). The wikipedia article for verichip (Microchip implant (human) - Wikipedia) said it basically tanked in the 00's because there was no demand for human microchipping. This Science Alert article talks about the concept for the tattoo being developed for places lacking accurate medical records, like how they dye your finger when you vote in India (An Invisible Quantum Dot 'Tattoo' Could Be Used to ID Vaccinated Kids)

Where is there any evidence that anyone in public health is currently floating this idea, when it clearly wouldn't be well-received in America? Show me one active public official saying they think this is something we should pursue. Again, this is not a serious argument, it's fear-mongering.

Saying "this technology exists" is not the same as "this is our future whether we like it or not, and Bill Gates is behind it all!" There's a sense of righteousness that comes from holding "uncommon knowledge" or knowing "hidden truths," but upon closer inspection, none of those theories tend to hold any water. I think people want to believe that there's unmitigated evil out there; it makes the world feel more manageable when there are clearly good guys and bad guys; but it's mostly just a mess of self-interested actors with a mix of good and bad intentions.

Meanwhile, the death toll rises.

Also, just came across this timely scoop. I am not a fan of hypocrites, especially those who are themselves profiting by drumming up vaccine skepticism as some kind of culture war:



These folks are presenting this alternate reality for their viewers but in fact are not practicing what they preach. Rupert Murdoch was vaccinated in mid-December, before most people had an opportunity to get one, and his network is still calling it experimental and unproven. Donald Trump and his wife were vaccinated quietly in January while still at the White House, despite having already had the virus and claiming natural immunity. Tucker Carlson refuses to say whether he's vaccinated and becomes combative when asked. It's all a grift; they sell a distorted reality that endangers their own viewers. It's like junk food for the brain. Am I missing something? Should I be listening to these people MORE?