Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) issued a directive on Friday barring state officials from requiring people to receive a Chinese coronavirus vaccine before they use state property or services.
“Vaccine passport programs have the potential to politicize a decision that should not be politicized,” Gordon said in a statement. “They would divide our citizens at a time when unity in fighting the virus is essential, and harm those who are medically unable to receive the vaccine.”
“While I strongly encourage Wyomingites over the age of 16 to get vaccinated against COVID-19 [Chinese coronavirus], it is a personal choice based upon personal circumstances,” he added.
The directive also urged local governments and businesses to reflect the state’s practices, aligning Wyoming with states like Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Montana, which have all blocked the use of vaccine passports. Other states with similar measures currently under review include Tennessee, New Hampshire, Michigan, and New Jersey. Legislatures in Iowa and Indiana have also worked to pass bills to ban vaccine passports.
A Rasmussen Reports survey from last month found fewer than half of likely voters consider vaccine passports a “good idea.”
In March, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated government officials would work with private companies on the development of a “vaccine passport.”
“It’s currently going through an inter-agency process; we’ll make some recommendations, and then we believe it will be driven by the private sector,” she said at the time.
Follow Kyle on Twitter @RealKyleMorris and Facebook.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.