Tracking the Vaccinated by Name, Race Challenges Privacy Laws

The federal government’s unprecedented collection of personal information to track Americans getting the Covid-19 vaccine is raising privacy concerns and forcing states to balance the rights of citizens with the nation’s battle to stem the deadly pandemic.

Public health officials say they need the data to track where vaccinations are occurring and which communities are lagging. But sharing private information—including name, date of birth, gender, race and ethnicity, and home address of anyone inoculated—has encountered some pushback.

“Most people recognize the importance of sharing data, even if it’s at the expense of privacy, when necessary to keep people safe and ...