Fact-check: What has Cooper said about 'vaccine passports' in North Carolina?

While Gov. Roy Cooper says the state government plans to help North Carolinians access their vaccination records, PolitiFact NC found no evidence that Cooper will require COVID vaccinations or order vaccinated people to use his verification system.

Posted 9:49 p.m. May 3, 2021 — Updated 9:49 p.m. May 3, 2021

Paul Specht

, PolitiFact reporter

North Carolina Republicans are concerned that Gov. Roy Cooper will create a COVID “vaccine passport” system that may infringe on individuals’ civil liberties.

Several Republicans in Congress and the state legislature wrote letters to Cooper after he mentioned having “discussions” about the idea on March 31. In their letters, members of Congress suggested Cooper might “mandate” vaccine passports, and legislators similarly said they worry North Carolinians could be “required” to carry proof of vaccination.

And on April 21, U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop tweeted that Cooper “hasn’t rejected” the idea.

While Cooper says the state government plans to help North Carolinians access their vaccination records, PolitiFact NC found no evidence that Cooper will require COVID vaccinations or order vaccinated people to use his verification system.

Let’s look at what Cooper originally said, and what we know about his plans as of May 3.

What Cooper said

Republicans cited comments Cooper gave after touring a vaccination site at CaroMont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia. Charlotte’s NPR affiliate WFAE quoted him in their March 31 story.

“We want to be able to help people to be able to show others that they have gotten the vaccine because a lot of people are going to want that. So we are figuring that out now and we’re having discussions about the best way to do that.”

“We want to make sure it’s equitable,” he added. “It would be great to have an app where you could show, but at the same time we know we need paper because a lot of people don’t have phones. We have to make sure this is equitable in the way we do it and respect everyone’s privacy.”

What is a ‘vaccine passport?’

The term “vaccine passport” is vague but, as PolitiFact has reported, it essentially refers to any record of someone’s vaccination history. Vaccination records are required for certain jobs, school registration and travel abroad. Duke University, for instance, is requiring its students to get the COVID vaccine in order to return to campus for the fall semester.

Duke on solid legal ground to require students be vaccinated

In the U.S., Americans who receive one of the three COVID-19 vaccines already receive a card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The card lists the vaccine that was administered, as well as the date and location where it was received.

In Cooper’s April 28 press conference, he told a WRAL reporter his goal for a “passport” system is simply to make it easier for North Carolinians to access their records. He said:

“I believe that any person who gets vaccinated should be able to get a verification of that vaccination if they ask us for it. And so the Department of Health and Human Services is working to make sure they can.

“Right now they can, in most instances, be able to go using their email address and get a copy of their vaccination record. The Department of Health and Human Services is working to make that easy. Some businesses may want to require that sometime in what they’re doing. So we believe that the state should be ready to give that information to a person who’s been vaccinated and the department plans to do that.”

No requirement mentioned

Cooper made no mention of requiring North Carolinians to get a vaccine passport.

After the briefing, PolitiFact reached out to his office and the Department of Health and Human Services for more details. Cooper spokeswoman Dory MacMillan reiterated that North Carolinians should have access to their records “if they ask for it.”

“There are no plans to require vaccinations,” she added.

The system DHHS is developing would allow North Carolinians to access a record of their vaccination digitally, if they so choose. Practically speaking, people wouldn’t need to carry around their vaccine cards.

New York uses an app that provides a record of a person’s vaccination or COVID test. Participation in the program is voluntary. While New York requires citizens to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend weddings, residents aren’t required to use its Excelsior Pass.

Reviewing the facts

Though Bishop tweeted that Cooper “still hasn’t rejected vaccine passports for North Carolina,” it’s important to clarify what Cooper has said. The governor plans to launch a system that would provide North Carolinians with easier access to their COVID vaccination records. Cooper’s office says it has no plans to “mandate” vaccines.