David Screech had already selected his seats and put in his credit card information for 鈥淪pringsteen on Broadway鈥� tickets when he noticed the COVID-19 vaccine requirements: his two doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca wouldn鈥檛 be enough for admission.

Screech, the mayor of View Royal, B.C., and a Springsteen fan of 40 years, received his second AstraZeneca dose last week, but the Jujamcyn Theaters鈥� website said it would only allow guests 鈥渇ully vaccinated with an FDA-approved vaccine鈥� 鈥� Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson 鈥� to see the show.

The New York venue held firm when Screech contacted them directly to ask about the requirement, turning his anticipation into disappointment. While he鈥檚 鈥渧ery grateful鈥� to have two doses of an effective vaccine, Screech said he had some reservations about AstraZeneca, and the Broadway snub 鈥渃ertainly added to that.鈥�

鈥淥bviously our health is far more important than being able to go to shows or concerts. But the flip side of that is, shows and concerts have been a major part of my life,鈥� Screech said.

鈥淎nd the idea of not being able to go to them for the foreseeable future because of possibly getting the wrong vaccine is a little disappointing.鈥�

鈥淪pringsteen on Broadway鈥� isn鈥檛 the only New York City attraction holding guests to strict vaccination rules.

Live tapings of TV shows including 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� and 鈥淭he Late Show with Stephen Colbert鈥� also snub AstraZeneca doses in rules listed on their websites, which say they鈥檙e acting 鈥渁t the direction of New York State.鈥�

The New York Islanders, currently in an NHL playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, don鈥檛 appear to have the same restrictions. While the team鈥檚 website says fans need proof of vaccination 鈥減er New York State guidelines,鈥� the arena also has 鈥渘on-vaccinated sections.鈥�

The offices of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Department of Health and the Jujamcyn Theaters did not immediately return requests for comment.

Dr. Zain Chagla, an infectious disease physician in Hamilton, wasn鈥檛 surprised to see institutions begin enacting vaccine passports. But blocking AstraZeneca recipients from a Springsteen show seemed particularly cruel.

鈥淚f there鈥檚 something more painful you can do to Generation X, this is it,鈥� Chagla said with a laugh.

Potential vaccine requirements for travellers could get even trickier if other countries begin forming rules based on their own authorized jabs, Chagla said.

A sense of vaccine nationalism could lead some to insist their authorized products are 鈥渢he gold standard,鈥� he added, noting that Johnson & Johnson, which was created with the same viral-vector technology as AstraZeneca, was slightly less effective in clinical trials.

鈥淭his is just a very arbitrary line in the sand, based on what the FDA approved, (without) recognizing that AstraZeneca is approved by many other health-care organizations around the world,鈥� Chagla said.

鈥淧rivate industries have the right to do what they want but at the same time we need to have larger discussions around what鈥檚 considered a fully immunized person, and with which vaccines.鈥�

Canada and the United States extended restrictions on non-essential travel on Friday, keeping the border between the countries closed until at least July 21.

Chagla expects more U.S. states to adopt FDA-approved vaccine requirements, which could bring more uncertainty and insult to AstraZeneca recipients planning to travel south once the border re-opens. Roughly two millions Canadians have received an AstraZeneca shot.

The websites of some tourist attractions in California and Florida, and ones in border cities including Detroit and Seattle, did not outline specific immunization rules as of Friday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that while potential stipulations in countries that don鈥檛 recognize the 鈥渇ull suite of vaccines鈥� will be an issue, Canada is 鈥渆ngaged in discussions with Americans and with partners around the world to ensure that people who are protected from COVID-19 are able to travel.鈥�

Chagla called for world leaders to establish a 鈥渂enchmark鈥� of potential vaccine requirements and give people confidence in their jab.

鈥淵ou really want people to feel they鈥檙e making the right decision, they鈥檙e not going to be discriminated against, and they鈥檒l have access to everything a vaccinated person should,鈥� he said.

Andria Bianchi, a bioethicist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto鈥檚 school of public health, wondered about the justification for the Broadway show鈥檚 vaccine rule.

If the goal is to ensure no one with COVID-19 enters the building, relying strictly on FDA-authorized vaccine passports isn鈥檛 the only way to achieve that.

鈥淚 hope that when any place is developing policies or putting restrictions in place that they鈥檙e very well-thought out and all possible options are explored,鈥� Bianchi said.

鈥淚 imagine there鈥檚 going to be a lot of AstraZeneca recipients frustrated and maybe feeling a sense of injustice.鈥�

Screech said he hopes the 鈥淪pringsteen on Broadway鈥� rule will change to reflect that AstraZeneca provides solid protection against COVID-19.

鈥淏ut there鈥檚 disappointment for sure, and a bit of worry about what it means for (other) U.S. venues in the future.鈥�

鈥擬elissa Couto Zuber, The Canadian Press