'Scientifically flawed': 22 examples of the failure of vaccine passports

By Vratesh Srivastava*
Vaccine passports were introduced in late 2021 in a number of places across the world, with the primary objective of curtailing community spread and inducing "vaccine hesitant" people to get vaccinated, ostensibly to ensure herd immunity.
The case for vaccine passports was scientifically flawed and ethically questionable.
For those who had closely followed clinical trials as well as Covid-19 waves, both the above arguments were flawed scientifically and easily refutable on the following counts:

The clinical trials had not tested the Covid-19 vaccines for impact on community transmission. Hence, the assertion that "vaccines reduced community transmission" lacked a scientific basis.
By the time vaccine passports were being implemented, highly vaccinated countries like Seychelles and Israel had experienced massive covid waves despite an overwhelming majority of eligible population being fully vaccinated. Israel was one of the first countries to roll out the booster. These examples completely negated the unscientific view around herd immunity.
Despite the question mark around impact on transmission, the ethical case against vaccine passports was for infringing on bodily autonomy as vaccine passports served as a coercive tool. Additionally, given the EUA (emergency use authorization) status, measures like these could possibly result in severe physical harms to a certain proportion of the coerced vaccinated population. It also was not consistent with the principle of informed consent.
Profit making pharmaceutical companies were provided government backed liability protection in many countries. Coercing people to consume potentially harmful products of companies that could not be held liable clearly was a big red flag in terms of safety of the vaccines.

The statement by a passenger on a cruise ship where a Covid-19 outbreak occurred pretty much sums up the misinformation people were fed about the vaccine acting as a barrier against community transmission: "I am wondering how you can possibly get Covid-19 on a ship that's 100% vaccinated."
So how did the implementation of vaccine passports and vaccine mandates pan out? Here are 22 examples:
Example 1: In October 2021, in Darlington, New South Wales,15 Covid-19 cases were linked to a gym that required members and staff to be fully vaccinated.
Example 2: In October 2021, 15 people caught Covid-19 and 1 died in a fully vaccinated hockey league in Ontario, Canada.
Example 3: In November 2021, 40% of the members in the fully vaccinated Ottawa Senators team tested positive for Covid-19.
Example 4: In November 2021, Western University in Ontario, that required student residents to be fully vaccinated, reported a Covid-19 outbreak in its residence.
Example 5: In December 2021, in Norway, out of 100 vaccinated people in a Christmas table, 60 tested positive.
Example 6: In December 2021, in Windsor, Ontario, 42 people tested positive after attending a birthday party that required vaccine passports.
Example 7: In December 2021, in a cruise in New Orleans where crew and passengers were fully vaccinated, 17 members tested positive.
Example 8: In December 2021, Covid-19 outbreak was reported in a fire station in Toronto, Ontario. The firefighters were vaccinated as per the vaccine mandate, unvaccinated workers had been suspended.
Example 9: In December 2021, a Covid-19 outbreak was linked a wedding in Wisconsin attended by fully vaccinated people.
Example 10: In December 2021, Covid-19 outbreak was reported in a liberal arts college in Vermont where nearly 100% of the students were fully vaccinated.
Example 11: In December 2021, Covid-19 outbreak was reported in Toronto police where a vaccine mandate requiring staff to be fully vaccinated was implemented.
Example 12: In December 2021, Queen's University in Kingston Ontario, that has implemented a vaccine mandate, canceled in-person exams after a Covid-19 outbreak.
Example 13: In December 2021, Cornell University in US shut down its campus after a Covid outbreak, despite 99% of faculty and graduates being vaccinated.
Example 14: In December 2021, the NHL team Calgary Flames in Canada had 17 players on "Covid protocol" despite the entire team being fully vaccinated.
Example 15: In December 2021, at a gathering related to a Taylor Swift album release in Australia that had implemented vaccination requirements for ticket holders, there was a Covid-19 outbreak with 97 people testing positive.
Example 16: In December 2021, Quebec closed a number of places where vaccine passport policies had been implemented including bars, gyms and casinos due to Covid-19 outbreaks.
Example 17: In December 2021, Covid-19 outbreak was reported in highly vaccinated setting in Houston Methodist in the US.
Example 18: In December 2021, Covid-19 outbreaks were reported in 3 separate cruises that required staff and all eligible passengers to be fully vaccinated.
Example 19: In December 2021, in Alberta, Canada, the Junior World Hockey Championship was canceled. 98% of players and staff were vaccinated, and spectators were required to be fully vaccinated.
Example 20: In April 2022, a Covid-19 outbreak was reported in a Caribbean Cruise that required all eligible passengers and crew to be vaccinated.
Example 21: In August 2022, Several Covid-19 outbreaks were reported in Google's offices that required employees physically attending offices to be vaccinated.
Example 22: In November 2022, cruise ship in Australia that required eligible crew and staff to be fully vaccinated reported over 800 fully vaccinated cases.

Conclusion

Clearly, if reduction in community transmission was the goal, then the above examples signify that this purpose was not achieved. On the contrary, a study of healthcare staff from Cleveland Clinic actually showed that the risk of Covid-19 increased with the number of doses previously received, a finding that turns the argument for restricting unvaccinated to curtail community transmission upside down.
In conclusion, Kieran Moore, the Chief Medical Officer of Health in Ontario, summed up the main goal nicely with the quote, "Their intended purpose was to improve immunization", i.e. vaccine passports had nothing to do with keeping community transmission in check or achieving herd immunity.
Which brings us to the question -- why were people coerced to jab?

---

*Content Manager of the social media handle @anhoneerahasya on Twitter and the channel “India’s Forgotten Babies” on Telegram. His research on polio vaccines in India has featured in the 10th anniversary edition of the best seller “Dissolving Illusions”. All references can be found on the author’s substack

Comments

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor* Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

PUCL files complaint with SC against Gujarat police, municipal authorities for 'unlawful' demolitions, custodial 'violence'

By A Representative The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Justice of India, urging the Supreme Court to initiate suo-moto contempt proceedings against the police and municipal authorities in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The complaint alleges that these officials have engaged in unlawful demolitions and custodial violence, in direct violation of a Supreme Court order issued in November 2024.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das* India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए।

Incarcerated for 2,424 days, Sudhir Dhawale combines Ambedkarism with Marxism

By Harsh Thakor One of those who faced incarceration both under Congress and BJP rule, Sudhir Dhawale was arrested on June 6, 2018, one of the first six among the 16 people held in what became known as the Elgar Parishad case. After spending 2,424 days in incarceration, he became the ninth to be released from jail—alongside Rona Wilson, who walked free with him on January 24. The Bombay High Court granted them bail, citing the prolonged imprisonment without trial as a key factor. I will always remember the moments we spent together in Mumbai between 1998 and 2006, during public meetings and protests across a wide range of issues. Sudhir was unwavering in his commitment to Maoism, upholding the torch of B.R. Ambedkar, and resisting Brahmanical fascism. He sought to bridge the philosophies of Marxism and Ambedkarism. With boundless energy, he waved the banner of liberation, becoming the backbone of the revolutionary democratic centre in Mumbai and Maharashtra. He dedicated himself ...

State Human Rights Commission directs authorities to uphold environmental rights in Vadodara's Vishwamitri River Project

By A Representative The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has ordered state and Vadodara municipal authorities to strictly comply with environmental and human rights safeguards during the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project, stressing that the river’s degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities and violates citizens’ rights to a healthy environment. The Commission mandated an immediate halt to ecologically destructive practices, rehabilitation of affected communities, transparent adherence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, and public consultations with experts and residents. The order follows the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara coalition—environmentalists, ecologists, and urban planners—submitting a detailed letter to authorities, amplifying calls for accountability. The group warned that current plans to “re-section” and “desilt” the river contradict the NGT’s 2021 Vishwamitri River Action Plan, which prioritizes floodpla...

CPM’s evaluation of BJP reflects its political character and its reluctance to take on battle against neo-fascism

By Harsh Thakor* A controversial debate has emerged in the revolutionary camp regarding the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s categorization of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Many Communists criticize the CPM’s reluctance to label the BJP as a fascist party and India as a fascist state. Various factors must be considered to arrive at an accurate assessment. Understanding the original meaning and historical development of fascism is essential, as well as analyzing how it manifests in the present global and national context.

Implications of deaths of Maoist leaders G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya in Chhattisgarh

By Harsh Thakor* In the wake of recent security operations in southern Chhattisgarh, two senior Maoist leaders, G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya, were killed. These operations, which took place amidst a historically significant Maoist presence, resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals on March 20th and 16 more three days prior.

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

Search This Blog