Vaccine passports for travel: everything you need to know
What are Covid vaccine passports for travel?
As the name suggests, this would be proof that the holder has been vaccinated against Covid, allowing them to move freely between countries once more. It’s an idea that’s been kicking around for a while, but with the rising numbers of British people being vaccinated it’s one that’s gathering momentum as the government looks at ways of easing lockdown and returning to normal. Both Sweden and Denmark recently announced they were developing digital immunity passports – which could in theory be used not only for travel but for entry to sporting and cultural events. Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt told Radio 4 that it was ‘a very sensible policy and I know that the government is looking at how that might work’.
Would it be like a normal passport?
No, it would be in the form of a secure digital app that can be quickly checked.
What has the government said about vaccine passports for travel?
There’s been some back and forth between various ministers. Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi initially ruled out the possibility in early February, saying it would be ‘discriminatory’, but Health Secretary Matt Hancock then went on to say it was something the government was looking into with other countries. Since then, Zahawi told BBC Breakfast in mid-February: ‘If other countries will require a vaccine certificate then I think it’s right that we facilitate it. People already when they travel they have to have, for certain countries, a yellow fever certificate. So if there is a requirement, any viewer can then ask for their vaccine certificate, in the way that we do pre-departure test certificates now.’ On 23 February, Boris Johnson told reporters that some countries would, in the future, certainly require proof of immunity: ‘It’s going to come on the international stage, whatever.’
When might vaccine passports for travel be introduced?
There’s no date yet, and while the government initially rejected the idea, on Sunday 14 February the foreign secretary Dominic Raab said they were under consideration. In January 2021 it was revealed that the UK government had been funding various passport schemes, which look at the tech and biometric security involved. And in late February it was reported that a digital vaccine passport, developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), could be ready ‘within weeks’.
Zakynthos, Greece
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