UK may require vaccine passports for big venues

Rolling out jabs for schoolchildren yet to be decided

The UK is considering a requirement for vaccine passports to be shown in order to access large venues as early as this month, but has yet to decide whether to roll out jabs to healthy schoolchildren.

“We are looking at, by the end of September when everyone has had a chance to be fully vaccinated, for the large venues — venues which could end up causing a real spike in infections — where we need to use the certification process,” vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi

said in an interview with Sky News.

The government hasn’t yet decided on whether to roll out vaccines to healthy 12- to 15-yearolds, but if the move does go ahead, then parental consent would be needed, he said.

On Friday, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said that the benefits of vaccination for healthy children in this age group was “marginally greater” than the potential known harms, though advised the government to ask the UK’s chief medical officers to weigh in on the decision.

The government hasn’t yet decided on whether to roll out vaccines to healthy 12- to 15-yearolds, but if the move does go ahead, then parental consent would be needed.

Vaccine for frontline staff

Zahawi confirmed that the government is considering requiring all frontline healthcare staff to have the Covid-19 vaccine, after the Sunday Telegraph reported that Health Secretary Sajid Javid is pushing ahead with the plans. The government will carry out a consultation before making a decision, Zahawi said.

He said the government will reveal the details of its social care plan by the end of the year.