Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi confirms that people will require vaccine passports in nightclubs and other indoor venues in England at the end of this month.
Mr Zahawi believes it is the right time to start the scheme as everyone over the age of 18 will have had the offer of two doses of vaccine by then.
Some MPs and venues criticise the need for people to show certificates to prove their Covid vaccination. But the vaccines minister thinks it is crucial in ensuring the economy can stay open. He says we need to work together with the industry, as in in his view it is the best way to ensure we keep them open.
Evidence shows that large gatherings of people, particularly indoors, causes a tendency for spikes in cases and spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, government plans of Covid booster jabs for the most vulnerable people, and all over 50s, could get the green light this month. The vaccine rollout will extend to all 12 to 15 year olds only if the UK’s chief medical officers recommended it.
Covid vaccine passports
Some Premier League football clubs began asking fans to show proof of vaccinations, allowing stadiums to reopen last month to capacity crowds. However, Covid-19 checks are not a mandatory entry requirement at many venues.
Mr Zahawi says the evidence supporting the decision is “clear cut”. He wants to “make sure the industry doesn’t have to go through open-shut, open-shut sort of strategy”. This is why it is “the right thing to do” to introduce the rules by the end of September. This is “when all over 18 year-olds have had their two jabs”.
Plans first unveiled in July broadly set out the government’s “intention to require vaccination for nightclubs and some other settings”. An official spokesman for the prime minister says these plans still remain in place.
An industry association fears that vaccine passports could “cripple the industry” and result in night clubs facing cases against discrimination.
Meanwhile, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs also oppose the plans, describing them as “divisive, unworkable and expensive”. Scottish Labour has also refused to support the requirement for vaccine passports in night clubs and large events in Scotland. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is interested in proposing the least restrictive way to keep people safe. Wales also has no plans to introduce Covid passports, while Norther Ireland are yet to announce their standing on the scheme.
Vaccinations for young people
When asked about Covid jabs for 12 to 15 year olds, Mr Zahawi did not want to “pre-determine” the UK’s chief medical officers’ decision. But he will accept their advice.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)are not recommending the vaccine rolls out to youngsters. They say benefits to younger children’s health is “marginal”. It is now up to chief medical officers to consider the wider implications. This includes transmission rates and school disruptions.
Professor Peter Openshaw, a member of the group advising the government on virus threats, is “a little surprised” at the JCVI’s decision. He says, everyone can see the virus is spreading widely among this age group. If we want to get rates down and prevent surges of infection later in the year, this group needs immunising.
Other advice from the JCVI suggests over 30 million people receive a third dose of Covid vaccine. Mr Zahawi hopes this advice becomes final by the end of the month, so the administering of booster jabs can begin.
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