Travel: Will 'Vaccine Passports' be essential?

Vaccine Passports may be implemented as the UK Government discuss its efficiency and ethical complexities.

It has been more than a year since the outbreak of the COVID-19 and the UK is still enduring its second wave of cases. With more than four million coronavirus cases in total according to World-O-Meter, the UK is found as the 6th worst infected nation worldwide.

The UK's National Health Service vaccinated a total of 26.8 million individuals between 8th December and 19th March, while 2.1 million people have received their second dose so far.

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson mentioned that he aims to continue the pace and provide vaccines to all resident over 50 years old by 15th April 2021, as well as all adults by July.

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock said: "During April, we will continue to vaccinate those most at risk and around 12 million people will receive their second doses as well.

"It is absolutely crucial people come forward as soon as they are eligible. When you get the call, get the jab, because the more people who are vaccinated the safer we will all be."

The UK Government are looking into the possibility of implementing a vaccine passport, which Boris Johnson claims can only begin once all vaccines are received.

What is a 'Vaccine Passport'?

A vaccine passport is a certificate provided to those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. The certificate will be available and used by an app, or as a physical document that individuals may be required to show when entering establishments or travelling.

Many countries, including India, have already implemented this idea by allowing individuals to download their vaccine certificate to show their inoculation against the COVID-19 virus.

The vaccine passport is aimed to reflect similar required documents including the World Health Organisation's International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, also known as the "Yellow Card". The document is required in countries which pose a risk of infection. Yellow fever was the most common vaccine required for travel before COVID-19.

It is hoped that certification would mean a return to normalcy across industries including travel. It also provides governments, citizens, and travellers with comfort as tourism re-opens.

The World Health Organisation said: "National authorities and conveyance operators should not introduce requirements of proof of COVID-19 vaccination for international travel as a condition for departure or entry, given that there are still critical unknowns regarding the efficacy of vaccination in reducing transmission.

"Preferential vaccination of travellers could result in inadequate supplies of vaccines for priority populations considered at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease" they added. Many are concerned about privacy invasion, where people may not necessarily want to share health data with companies.

Although some countries require proof of vaccination for visitors, the UK has not come to a full conclusion on their next steps. Boris Johnson explained that a review will be conducted regarding vaccine passports, that will look into the “moral, philosophical, ethical viewpoints on it”.

He said: "There are moral complexities and ethical problems that need to be addressed.

"We can’t be discriminatory towards people who, for whatever reason, can’t have the vaccine.

"There's no question that that’s where a lot of countries will be going, and they will be insisting on vaccine passports in the way that people would use to assist on evidence that you’ve been inoculated for yellow fever".

One of the main concerns of the vaccine passport is that it would then detail vaccine efficacy and if it is effective against emerging variants, which can reflect on international acceptance.

The vaccine will be used domestically as well as internationally, which begs the question of, whether people with vaccine certificates will experience greater freedoms. Significant implications within ethical and moral issues must be fully explored and detailed to not present certificates that will allow for discrimination or create inequalities.