'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

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।

Old bias, new excuses: How western media misrepresents India’s anti-terror strikes

By Gajanan Khergamker The recent Indian military strikes on Pakistan, dubbed Operation Sindoor, have sparked a storm of international media coverage. Several prominent outlets have portrayed India as the aggressor in the escalating conflict, raising concerns over biased reporting. This commentary critiques coverage by foreign media outlets such as The New York Times , Reuters, BBC, and CNN, which have often been accused of framing India’s actions as escalatory while downplaying or omitting critical context regarding Pakistan’s role in fostering terrorism. By examining historical patterns and current geopolitical dynamics, this analysis highlights the recurring selective framing, omission of evidence, and a tendency to favor narratives aligned with Western geopolitical interests over factual nuance.

'A tribal lifeline': Health rights group asks Gujarat governor to halt Vyara govt hospital privatization

By A Representative In a strong appeal to the Governor of Gujarat, the National Health Rights Alliance (NHRA)—an initiative of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM)—has urged the state to halt the ongoing move to privatize the Vyara Government Hospital and Medical College in Tapi district.

जैविक जीवित संसाधनों व प्रकृति पर निर्भर मजदूरों की व्यापक आर्थिक सुरक्षा कैसे हो?

- राज कुमार सिन्हा* भारत में 60 करोड़ से अधिक लोग भूमि, जल, जंगल और समुद्र जैसे प्राकृतिक स्रोतों पर निर्भर हैं । देश में 14.6 करोड़ छोटे और सीमांत किसान, 14.4 करोड़ खेतिहर मजदूर ( बड़ी संख्या में दलित हैं), 27.5 करोड़ वन निवासी, 2.8 करोड़ मछुआरे, 1.3 करोड़ पशुपालक और 1.7 करोड़ कारीगर हैं जो सीधे तौर पर प्रकृति के साथ और प्रकृति के भरोसे काम कर रहे हैं । लगभग 6 करोड़ मौसमी मजदूर हैं जो काम के सिलसिले में लगातार अपने गांव से बाहर जाते हैं और लौटते हैं। प्रकृति निर्भर समुदायों की आर्थिक गतिविधियां जो बड़े पैमाने पर जीवन निर्वाह और छोटी आय के लिए है। वर्तमान आर्थिक नीतियों के कारण, जो कॉर्पोरेट्स और बड़े व्यवसायों का समर्थन करती है, प्रकृति निर्भर समुदाय के लिए अव्यवहारिक होती जा रही है।

Censor Board's bullying delays 'Phule': A blow to India's democratic spirit

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* A film based on the life and legacy of Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule was expected to release today. Instead, its release has been pushed to the last week of April. The reason? Protests by self-proclaimed guardians of caste pride—certain Brahmin groups—and forced edits demanded by a thoroughly discredited Censor Board.

Naveen Gautam creates history, becomes first Dalit youth to moderate session at UN

By A Representative In a historic moment for Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent, Mr. Naveen Gautam of the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) became the first Dalit youth to moderate a session at any United Nations forum.

Kashmiriyat lives: Beyond the prime-time lies

By Rimmi Vaghela I am Rimmi from Ahmedabad. I contemplated this blog on April 27, 2025 in Jammu, when my plans of revisiting the paradise called Kashmir were shattered—not by fear, but by circumstances and sorrow. I decided to share my story with a heavy heart, hoping it reaches those who still believe in the warmth of humanity over the divisive noise of prime-time media.

In the fury of war, humanity succumbs to the illusion of nationalism

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* On May 7, Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti—also known as Rabindra Jayanti or Poncheeshe Boishakh in Kolkata—we celebrated the birth anniversary of the renowned poet, writer, philosopher, reformer, and Nobel laureate. On this occasion, I draw attention to Tagore’s timeless quotes, which resonate profoundly today, perhaps more than ever, as we live in a time when the ruling government has pushed the nation toward war.

Choice of the word 'Sindoor' in India's anti-terror operation: Symbolic feminism or patriarchal strategy?

By Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava* In the aftermath of a war and subsequent ceasefire in 2025, Operation Sindoor has emerged as a focal point of national discourse, not only for its military objectives but also for its symbolic framing. The operation, named after a traditional marker of Hindu marital identity, and the prominent roles of Colonel Sofiya Qureshi of the Indian Army and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force in its media briefings, have been widely celebrated as a step toward gender inclusivity.

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...

Search This Blog