HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) â Vaccine passports being developed to verify COVID-19 immunization status and allow inoculated people to more freely travel, shop and dine have become the latest flash point in Americaâs perpetual political wars, with Republicans portraying them as a heavy-handed intrusion into personal freedom and private health choices. They currently exist in only one state â a limited government partnership in New York with a private company â but that hasnât stopped GOP lawmakers in a handful of states from rushing out legislative proposals to ban their use. The argument over whether passports are a sensible response to the pandemic or governmental overreach echoes the bitter disputes over the past year about masks, shutdown orders and even the vaccines themselves.