UK’s travel industry struggled in 2020. And with a COVID vaccination program currently on going, could a COVID19 vaccine passport turn things around? Some are considering the use of a vaccine passport/certificate to get the travel industry back to its feet once again. Unfortunately, UK officials are still debating whether or not a COVID19 vaccine passport is appropriate.
Undersecretary of State for COVID19 Vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi mentioned that having a vaccine passport is “discriminatory”. He argues that since the vaccination program in the UK is not mandated, a vaccine passport could discriminate against people who refused to get vaccinated.
COVID19 Vaccine Passport is Inevitable
The UK was reportedly preparing a certification system that would allow vaccinated individuals to travel to different countries by summer. On Sunday, foreign secretary Dominic Raab clarified that such plan is still “under consideration”.
Just last month, the president of the European Union Commission, Ursula von der Leyen supports having an EU-standard vaccination certificate. Tony Blair believes that a COVID Vaccine Passport is inevitable as different European countries are now embracing the use of a vaccine passport or a certificate that could clear travelers from being tested and doing mandatory 14-day quarantine when traveling abroad. The former head of state believes that a universally recognized digital health certificate is the way to let people travel again.
Blaire believes that the vaccination program is a “national security issue”. He added that “If you will look at the damage to our economy and the global economy, it’s massive”. Blair also called the COVID19 pandemic the “biggest crisis since the Second World War”. He added that travel restrictions could work to a certain extent, but he admitted that it isn’t a sustainable option.
The travel and tourism industry is responsible for generating £200 billion to UK’s GDP. In November, UK’s travel and tourism sector is feared to lose 2.4 million jobs. That equates to half of the industry’s workforce.
So far, the COVID19 vaccine rollout in England has entered a new phase as the majority of the population’s vulnerable groups have already been vaccinated. It is now available to individuals over 65 years of age and those younger individuals classified under the at-risk groups. After six weeks, 15 million people have already been vaccinated.