As vaccinations start to roll out across the world, a lot of us find ourselves eager to go see our family and friends again or simply just want to visit new places. However, traveling still remains somewhat dangerous, as we don’t know who is and isn’t vaccinated.

This is where vaccine passports come into play.

Vaccine passports allow those traveling to show proof of their vaccination. They are a means of preventing those who aren’t vaccinated from potentially spreading the virus to other parts of the globe.

Gabriel Gonzalez, a junior at Walt Whitman, says, “Vaccine passports should be mandatory for people entering and leaving the US. It would make me feel more at ease if I knew that everyone I see traveling is vaccinated.”

Vaccine passports could also help motivate people to get vaccinated. For example, if someone is anxious to see their family and knows they need to show proof of vaccination to travel, they might feel more inclined to get vaccinated. And countries fighting their own battles against COVID won’t have to worry about people who live elsewhere spreading the virus.

But arguments against the passports should be considered.

It’s argued that while there is solid proof vaccines are effective, they are not always guaranteed to offer full immunity, rendering vaccine passports not as useful. Others feel that since the rollout of the vaccine is based on priority, people who aren’t able to be vaccinated yet will miss out on opportunities that come from traveling while the people who are vaccinated can travel without a problem.

There’s also a big issue with fraud. Some people are more than capable of creating fake certification to lie about their vaccination status. Erin Torres, a junior at Walt Whitman elaborates on this, saying that “The passports seem like a better alternative to just letting people travel, but the issue is that it’s very easy for people to make fake cards.”

Ultimately, vaccine passports are meant to ensure the safety of international travel, and as the pandemic becomes less pressing, we might begin to see them fade away.