By Eleanor Lawrie
BBC News
Image rightsGetty ImagesImage descriptionVaccination cards can allow people to travel more in the future
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has urged the UK to introduce vaccination records.
More than seven million adults in the UK have now received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
What could a vaccination card be used for?
Currently, people who have been vaccinated in the UK are given an index card and the vaccination is recorded on their medical records.
A vaccination record could allow people to prove their status and, for example, travel internationally, it has been suggested.
The United Kingdom “should lead instead of being led “ and develop a single global passport, says the Tony Blair Institute. It suggests an international Covid passport is “inevitable” and the wait means “a confusing array of different passports” are being developed.
Several countries and companies are already working on apps or digital certificates.
Will the UK issue vaccination records?
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi previously said the UK government is “studying the technology” to produce vaccination records. Not only would this be helpful for general practitioners, but venues like bars and restaurants would “likely use this system as well,” he said.
But Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove said a vaccination record was “not the plan” even though companies “could make decisions about who to allow and why”.
The developers of a UK digital vaccine and immunity passport I hope to be able to offer the technology to local health authorities.
They say the data could help areas at different stages of vaccine adoption make decisions about how to get back to work, school, and “the kind of lives people want” to lead.
Are vaccination records the right thing?
Something Academics and Human rights groups Fear that vaccination certificates could discriminate against those who are waiting for the vaccine, who cannot or do not want to have it.
However, a team at the Oxford Uehiro Center for Practical Ethics suggests keeping people in isolation who have little or no risk of spreading the coronavirus is “unethical”
“If we have the technology to decide who is not at risk, we should use it,” the medical journal said. Medical journal The Lancet.
Image rightsGetty ImagesImage descriptionMillions of people have been vaccinated in the UK and around the world
Relaxing restrictions on low-risk individuals benefits society as a whole, whether it’s caring for Covid patients, visiting the isolated patient, or reopening a small business.
It can also encourage people to have the push.
“There are people who want to be vaccinated and there are others who are less sure and additional freedoms could be an incentive,” said Dr. Rebecca Brown told the BBC.
What have other countries done?
- Estonia and the United Nations Health Department are issuing e-vaccination certificates called “Smart Yellow Cards”.
- Denmark is developing a digital vaccination record so that citizens can prove they had the bite
- Spain is Compiling a database of vaccine refusers who will share it with the European Union. This will ensure that no one is accidentally removed from the vaccination schedule, the health minister said
- Greece requires a vaccination certificate that is suitable for travel in all Member States
- Microsoft, the Mayo Clinic, and others are developing a way to store encrypted vaccination records in a phone’s “digital wallet”. A scannable QR code will help people “safely return to travel, work, school and life,” they say.
Could employers and companies require proof of vaccination?
Plumbing company Pimlico Plumbers says it will require workers to be vaccinatedand must not stay with those who do not adhere to it.
However, demanding employees being vaccinated would be illegal in “most circumstances,” says Ella Bond, employment lawyer at Harper James Solicitors.
She says it could lead to unfair dismissal and discrimination claims. Exceptions could be if it is “work-critical” that people are vaccinated – for example, nursing home workers or roles that require trips abroad.
Another question is whether companies might refuse to serve unvaccinated customers.
Saga, which specializes in holidays for those over 50, says passengers are on their 2021 vacation or cruise must be fully vaccinated.
Australian airline Qantas says travelers may need to show proof of coronavirus vaccination to climb its flights.
Can I spread coronavirus if I had the vaccine?
Early signs are that people who have been vaccinated are far less likely to get seriously coronavirus.
However, it is still not certain whether vaccination will stop someone from passing it on to others.
England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Prof. Jonathan Van-Tam said Scientists “do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission”. The government does, however Expect it to reduce this risk.
Do I have to comply with the lock restrictions if I can provide proof of vaccination?
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was “important that everyone keep following up after vaccination.” [lockdown] Rules “to reduce the number of cases and protect yourself.
However, it is hoped that widespread vaccination could ultimately allow some or all of the population to move closer to normal.
Image descriptionTravelers must present proof of vaccination when entering certain countries
