Wanting to return to pre-pandemic regularity, many countries where vaccine campaigns for Covid-19 are under full consideration are considering strengthening “vaccine licenses” to resume international travel and reopening economies.
A week ago, the UK government announced plans for such passports – with vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi calling them “discrimination” – but on Sunday, foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the documents were “under consider ”. Labor politicians have filed a lawsuit, with former prime minister Tony Blair making the case for domestic vaccination licenses in the Post this Sunday. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of these “immunity certificates”?
The arguments for
Incentives They could be a powerful way for people to get vaccinated. However, David Archard, chairman of the Nuffield Council on Biology, argues that they are not necessarily an appropriate means of achieving vaccine compliance, which can be improved by providing people with more accurate and precise information. .
Opportunities By gaining a certificate, some individuals who have lost the pandemic may be able to access certain job opportunities. “And that’s important,” said Archard. “After all, what we have done for the past year is to place great restrictions on the freedom of the people, and this is one way in which individuals can These are fundamental freedoms that are worth regaining. “
Travel Passports may offer value for international travel – the vaccine means you are unlikely to suffer from a serious Covid-19 infection that may require hospitalization overseas. over. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, says if a country’s hospitals are already tackling high levels of Covid-19, “they don’t want people to coming out on holiday from Britain, and then going down with Covid and adding to the burden on their health services. [If you are vaccinated,] you are very likely to get sick with Covid-19 while you are there, more [because] you brought it into the country or [because] you picked it up in the first week of the holidays. ”
The arguments against
Science Although the vaccines used have shown impressive efficacy in reducing the risk of hospitalization and death for symbolic Covid-19, at this stage there is no strong evidence that they can prevent the spread , scientists say. “So there is a risk of just accepting that because you have been vaccinated, you will not then distribute Covid-19, and that would not be a good scientific basis for a passport policy,” says Archard. .
Variations Most countries are at an early stage in the rollout of the vaccine, and with concerns about the impact of existing variables – particularly the one found in South Africa – on the ability of immunizations to be effective. offer, it would be too early to introduce the passport system, Archard said. “I think we’re about half way through the first half, and we don’t want to start introducing red and yellow cards yet. We want to go ahead in the second half to see if we can see how it works. “
Discrimination Passports like this will be used to enable people who are vaccinated and who are thought to have immunity to do things that other people cannot. Because the distribution of the vaccine is based on a priority system, some people get the vaccine before others. Others who choose not to be vaccinated despite being offered the vaccine may miss out on missed opportunities. There is a risk of stigmatization of unqualified individuals, and Archard suggests that you could also punish people who are already disadvantaged because of certain inequalities.
Deception Passports could encourage people who have not yet been vaccinated or who have chosen not to be vaccinated to become black market certified, according to Hunter. So if passports are accepted, he says, “it must be done in a way that is not accused of fraud”.
Privacy The NHS usually stores health information such as vaccine records. These passports could mean that data is shared with outside companies, Archard said. “Could it be used in ways that are unfair, stigmatizing, and detrimental to the interests of individuals? Just as in practical practice there would be reasonable ethical concerns that need to be addressed. ”