There are discussions about mandatory COVID-19 immunity passports for travel to some countries. But this concept is itself non-scientific and unethical. The UK and Canada have their own reservations about making such immunity certificates compulsory for travel. Hence they are not for it and have made their points clear to the world on it. The UK has stated that it will not make it a requirement for travel to its nation but it will issue such certificates to its citizens in case they need it for travel to other countries which demand it.
The UK and its take on immunity passports
Great Britain is not for the requirement of immunity passports during this COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, it has made its stand clear on this issue at the time when many EU countries are talking about making it mandatory for travel to their nations. UK’s vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawisaid that it will provide with such vaccine certificates to its own citizens but will not put it up as criteria for travel to the UK. Nadhim told BBC:
“Internationally, if other countries will require a vaccine certificate, then I think it’s right that we facilitate it,”
“We’re not looking at the domestic use of vaccine passports, that’s not in our planning. As the prime minister described, it’ll be the national vaccination programme combined with rapid testing that I think is the way forward.”
Experts and their views on such passports
Experts from the medical field as well as rights groups people have warned against such mandatory travel passes. They have specified that though they would facilitate movements, they are not 100% foolproof against spread of the deadly virus. Additionally, they have the ingrained problem of privacy invasion that is a significant issue.
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| Immunity passports (Source: BBC) |
Also read here on Immunity passports and the other world countries
WHO is also against such passports. It has clarified that issuing of a vaccine certificate does not guarantee that a person who is vaccinated is safe for the community. Firstly, immunity after the second dose of the vaccine is 95%. This implies that 5% people have the vaccination but are not immune to the virus. Also, even when antibodies develop in an individual, it does not imply that he is protected against the virus. These can still get re-infected with or without symptoms. Thus they can be a risk for themselves and also the community.
Lawmakers and their say
UK’s lawmakers want to end the lockdown at the earliest. They want no more rules after 1 May 2021. This could be possible if the vulnerable groups get their vaccine shots. Lawmaker Steve Baker said:
“We’re all filled with sorrow for the people we’ve lost, the harms that we’ve suffered but we don’t honor those we’ve loved and lost by wrecking the rest of our lives,”
“We’ve got to find a way to rebuild our society and our economy and our prospects, our livelihoods.”
Boris Johnson stated that its government is not looking for such passports to enter pubs and bars. Instead it is looking for mass vaccination and rapid testing as the way out of this infectious crisis.
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