‘Ethical’ doubts over jab passports

NICOLA Sturgeon has warned that ‘ethical and equity’ concerns must be considered before deciding whether to introduce vaccine passports in Scotland.

In a surprise U-turn, Boris Johnson announced on Monday that proof of vaccination will be a ‘condition of entry’ to nightclubs and other busy venues from September. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has admitted he is ‘sceptical’ about the idea.

Speaking at her Covid briefing yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘We haven’t taken a decision on whether or not to require vaccine passports in any particular setting. That will be something we’re considering over the next period.

‘While there are arguments for requiring vaccination to allow entry to certain places, it raises sensitive ethical and equity considerations – not least because there are some people who can’t get vaccinated because of

‘Ethical and equity considerations’

health conditions and we are not yet in a position of having a recommendation to vaccinate all younger teenagers.

‘So we’ve got to weigh up these things very carefully and, while we’re doing that, we need to continue to be cautious.’

She stressed that she has not yet allowed nightclubs to open because ‘we think they do pose a risk to transmission’.

Asked when the decision on Covid passports would be made, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘It’s a reasonable assumption that we will say more about the state of our decision-making around vaccine passports before we signal the reopening of places like nightclubs.’

Mr Johnson is facing a growing backlash over his passports plan from clubs, backbench Tories and opposition MPs.

Mr Ross, who is also a Tory MP, said: ‘All of these things are being looked at in England, nothing has been confirmed.

‘I am personally rather sceptical about vaccine passports, I think it means people are treated differently... I don’t like a situation where we could have two tiers of people – those who can and have been vaccinated and those who so far have not.’