Vaccine ‘passports’ will not be official UK policy
STATE-ISSUED immunity passports will not be given out – but those inoculated against coronavirus will be able to ask their GP for written proof of their vaccine status if needed for travel, a minister has said.
The Government has been adamant that it does not plan to issue so-called “vaccine passports” to allow people to travel once they have had both doses of a vaccine. But with countries such as Greece stating that they will waive quarantine requirements for those who have been jabbed, ministers are facilitating a way in which UK residents with protection can travel once the lockdown is over.
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi, asked about whether the Government was considering issuing immunity passports, told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “No, we’re not. One, we don’t know the impact of the vaccines on transmission.
“Two, it would be discriminatory, and I think the right thing to do is to make sure that people come forward to be vaccinated because they want to, rather than it be made in some way mandatory through a passport. If other countries obviously require some form of proof, then you can ask your GP, because your GP will hold your records and that will then be able to be used as your proof you’ve had the vaccine. But we are not planning to have a passport in the UK.”
It comes as Government data up to February 6 confirmed that more than 12 million people in the UK have received their first dose – a rise of 549,078 on the previous day’s figures. Mr Zahawi disclosed that nearly 1,000 vaccines a minute were provided in an hour on Saturday morning, as the Government strives to meet its target of giving all over-70s and front-line healthcare workers their first dose by February 15.
The Prime Minister is due to give an update later this month on how the lockdown will be lifted in England. The target is for schools to return on March 8 and reports have suggested non-essential shops could be permitted to reopen in April, followed by pubs in May.
Mr Zahawi said Boris Johnson’s “road map” would be influenced by the data he is due to be shown on what protection vaccines have afforded people in terms of preventing transmission of the disease.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, a vocal critic of the tiered system of restrictions used last year, said he supported the Prime Minister’s comments that there will be a national approach to releasing the lockdown.
“We don’t believe tiers worked and the better approach, we think, would be a phased national release from lockdown where other sectors can return after schools when it’s judged right to do so,” he told Sky News. “That also means keeping in place the national support for sectors that will take longest to return.”