The only tool that we have to beat the Covid-19 virus is to get vaccinated.

As it’s human nature, there are always contrarians, rebels who want to go against the flow, who want to zig when everyone is zagging.

That’s fine. To each their own, but not all of us should pay the price for their lack of cooperation. Some of us would like to have some kind of normal life in spite of the dissenters. That’s where vaccine passports come in handy.

Let the people who follow common sense and science go back to a normal, civilized way of life, and let the dissenter dissent in their homes.

To let vaccinated people go back to regular traveling, the Canadian government is creating a vaccine passport. The passport is not intended for use domestically but could be if provinces choose to do so. This could be the document used before going into bars, restaurants, or gyms.

Vaccine passports aren’t entirely new. Yellow fever certificates have been used for years for travelers going to or from countries where that illness is common. The COVID-19 vaccine passports will be much more widespread.

Dozens of countries around the world have COVID-19 vaccine requirements for travel and many have now launched their own version of a vaccine passport. Most, like the European Union’s “green pass,” are digital, while others, like the Japanese version unveiled in late July, are starting on paper.

Canada has already been using the ArriveCAN app for travelers coming into Canada to upload their vaccination status. Since mid-July, Canadians who are fully vaccinated can avoid quarantine upon their return to the country by using the app.

Canada’s border reopened to fully vaccinated Americans on Monday, and the plan is to allow all fully vaccinated foreign travelers in next month.

Quebec is introducing a provincial passport next month that will be required for people who want to attend public events, go to the gym, or frequent a restaurant or bar.

Manitoba has a vaccine card that is either digital or on paper, which provides proof of vaccination. The province has not mandated vaccines but some events require it, including Winnipeg Blue Bombers games.

Prince Edward Island has a PEI Pass that exempts vaccinated P.E.I. residents from isolating when they return to the island.

Ontario and Alberta have both said they will not provide provincial vaccine passports or make vaccination mandatory for anything, while other provinces have been more open to the notion of at least having a passport option.

Not everyone has to get a vaccine passport. Only those who want to get rid of the virus and who want to go about their regular lives. The rest can stay home.