隨著新冠疫苗接種運動以不同的速度展開,一個很大的問題逐漸浮現(xiàn)出來,即一些民眾有可能淪為“二等公民”——但愿這只是暫時的。
以色列正在開展世界上最快速的新冠疫苗接種運動(盡管這并沒有使其免于實施新一輪的嚴(yán)格封鎖措施)。該國衛(wèi)生部公布了一份“綠色護(hù)照”,允許接種疫苗的人參加大規(guī)模集會和體育賽事等活動。此外,這些護(hù)照也可能會被酒店、商場和餐館使用。
而在位于世界另一端的洛杉磯縣,疫苗接種者正在獲得一個存儲在其智能手機(jī)上的數(shù)字記錄。它最終可能用作演唱會入場券或航班登機(jī)憑證。
一些航空公司非常熱衷于這個想法,認(rèn)為這有助于航空業(yè)回歸準(zhǔn)常態(tài)。澳洲航空(Qantas)在一個月前表示,今年將以接種疫苗作為乘客登機(jī)的先決條件。這比航空業(yè)此前推動的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)防疫措施更進(jìn)一步。各大航空公司目前要求乘客至少在出發(fā)前接受了檢測。
這場圍繞疫苗接種者是否應(yīng)該獲得優(yōu)待的爭論包含了許許多多的因素,涉及從行為到倫理等方方面面。獲得眾多好處的前景是否會促使懷疑論者接種疫苗?抑或,拒絕給予這些好處,會被視為疫苗接種運動是某種威權(quán)主義陰謀的證據(jù)?那些因為個人醫(yī)療狀況、政府未能迅速為人們接種等原因而無法接種疫苗的人呢?
對于美國官員來說,這些困境難免牽扯到向來都需要平衡把握的人權(quán)領(lǐng)域。因此,他們必須得小心行事,以免違背憲法理念。
但企業(yè)呢?許多公司無疑也要梳理法律方面的影響。但是,特別是在這方面沒有官方規(guī)則的情況下,擺在它們面前的重大問題是,它們將不得不決定是否要繼續(xù)平等對待所有客戶。
例如,一旦相當(dāng)大比例的當(dāng)?shù)孛癖娊臃N了新冠疫苗,零售連鎖店是否會面臨壓力,讓接種過疫苗的人不戴口罩就進(jìn)入門店?屆時,抵制疫苗的人是否會抱怨自己受到了歧視?此外,目前還沒有一種疫苗被授權(quán)用于兒童,這是否意味著影院經(jīng)營者可能會歧視年輕的電影觀眾?
從某種意義上說,能夠提出這些問題本身就是件好事。千萬不要忘記,在新冠疫情爆發(fā)不到一年的時候,疫苗就已經(jīng)開始推廣了,這是多么不可思議的事情。但我當(dāng)然不知道答案是什么,所以很想看看它們是如何成為現(xiàn)實的。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:任文科
隨著新冠疫苗接種運動以不同的速度展開,一個很大的問題逐漸浮現(xiàn)出來,即一些民眾有可能淪為“二等公民”——但愿這只是暫時的。
以色列正在開展世界上最快速的新冠疫苗接種運動(盡管這并沒有使其免于實施新一輪的嚴(yán)格封鎖措施)。該國衛(wèi)生部公布了一份“綠色護(hù)照”,允許接種疫苗的人參加大規(guī)模集會和體育賽事等活動。此外,這些護(hù)照也可能會被酒店、商場和餐館使用。
而在位于世界另一端的洛杉磯縣,疫苗接種者正在獲得一個存儲在其智能手機(jī)上的數(shù)字記錄。它最終可能用作演唱會入場券或航班登機(jī)憑證。
一些航空公司非常熱衷于這個想法,認(rèn)為這有助于航空業(yè)回歸準(zhǔn)常態(tài)。澳洲航空(Qantas)在一個月前表示,今年將以接種疫苗作為乘客登機(jī)的先決條件。這比航空業(yè)此前推動的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)防疫措施更進(jìn)一步。各大航空公司目前要求乘客至少在出發(fā)前接受了檢測。
這場圍繞疫苗接種者是否應(yīng)該獲得優(yōu)待的爭論包含了許許多多的因素,涉及從行為到倫理等方方面面。獲得眾多好處的前景是否會促使懷疑論者接種疫苗?抑或,拒絕給予這些好處,會被視為疫苗接種運動是某種威權(quán)主義陰謀的證據(jù)?那些因為個人醫(yī)療狀況、政府未能迅速為人們接種等原因而無法接種疫苗的人呢?
對于美國官員來說,這些困境難免牽扯到向來都需要平衡把握的人權(quán)領(lǐng)域。因此,他們必須得小心行事,以免違背憲法理念。
但企業(yè)呢?許多公司無疑也要梳理法律方面的影響。但是,特別是在這方面沒有官方規(guī)則的情況下,擺在它們面前的重大問題是,它們將不得不決定是否要繼續(xù)平等對待所有客戶。
例如,一旦相當(dāng)大比例的當(dāng)?shù)孛癖娊臃N了新冠疫苗,零售連鎖店是否會面臨壓力,讓接種過疫苗的人不戴口罩就進(jìn)入門店?屆時,抵制疫苗的人是否會抱怨自己受到了歧視?此外,目前還沒有一種疫苗被授權(quán)用于兒童,這是否意味著影院經(jīng)營者可能會歧視年輕的電影觀眾?
從某種意義上說,能夠提出這些問題本身就是件好事。千萬不要忘記,在新冠疫情爆發(fā)不到一年的時候,疫苗就已經(jīng)開始推廣了,這是多么不可思議的事情。但我當(dāng)然不知道答案是什么,所以很想看看它們是如何成為現(xiàn)實的。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:任文科
As vaccination drives roll out at varying speeds, there's a big question mark over the issue of what may become—hopefully temporarily—a two-tiered populace.
In Israel, which is running the world's speediest COVID-19 inoculation campaign (though that hasn't warded off the need for a tight new lockdown), the health ministry has unveiled a "green passport" that will allow vaccinated people to do things like attend mass gatherings and sporting events. It said the passports will also probably be used by hotels, malls and restaurants.
On the other side of the world, in Los Angeles County, vaccine recipients are getting a digital record, stored on their smartphones, that could end up being used for entrance to concerts or flights.
Some airlines are quite keen on the idea, as a way to return to quasi-normality. Qantas said a month ago that it would require passengers to be vaccinated first if they are to get on-board this year—a step beyond the industry-wide push for a standardized way to show that passengers have at least been tested before departure.
The debate over preferential treatment for vaccinated people is one that's loaded with many, many factors ranging from the behavioral to the ethical. Would the promise of benefits push skeptics to become vaccinated, or would their withholding be seen as evidence of the vaccination drive being some kind of authoritarian conspiracy? What about people who can't get vaccinated, for reasons ranging from their personal medical circumstances, to the failure of governments to inoculate people quickly enough?
For officials, these quandaries veer into the territory of human rights—always a balancing act, so they will have to tread carefully due to the constitutional implications.
But what about businesses? Many will undoubtedly have to comb through legal implications too, but, especially in the absence of official rules on the subject, their big issue will be deciding whether or not to continue treating all their customers equally.
For example, once a sizeable proportion of the local populace has been inoculated against COVID-19, will retail chains face pressure to let vaccinated people into their outlets without a mask? Will vaccine resisters then complain that they're being discriminated against? None of the currently-available vaccines are authorized for use in kids—does that mean cinema operators might have to discriminate against young moviegoers?
In a sense, it's great to be able to ask these questions—let's never forget how incredible it is that vaccines are already being rolled out, barely a year into the pandemic. But I certainly don't know what the answers are, and I'm fascinated to see how they materialize.