Domestic vaccine passports aren’t just discriminatory, they’re unnecessary too
Out of unjustified panic, the Government has decided to pursue the policy of domestic vaccine passports – despite previously swearing never to do so.
We’ve all heard the legitimate arguments about how discriminatory and sinister they are as a concept. The main argument used in their favour is their utility in opening up the economy at a faster speed than the current roadmap. This could be true if we had a very slow vaccine uptake, but that is not the case. There was a fear that our rollout would slow down, but that has not materialised. Potential lag in supply of first doses doesn’t matter when vulnerable groups will still be getting their second doses as already scheduled. A quarter of England’s over-80s are likely to have received both their doses of the Covid vaccine already, according to NHS England figures.
With Moderna shots around the corner, the UK’s successful vaccine rollout is entirely on track so we will have (and already have) a highly immunised population.
Unlike other diseases, Covid is only fatal to specific groups, and those groups have had one jab – which prevents deaths and hospitalisations on its own, even without a second dose which boosts protection to even greater levels.
The question, therefore, should be, why is the domestic passport system needed?
A handful of unvaccinated people are extremely unlikely to have any impact since catching Covid will not be an issue for the vast majority of the population. As for the claim that the system could push the young to be vaccinated, I doubt many in my age group will refuse the jab, and the vaccination of those who are vulnerable to Covid will mean this won’t really matter anyway.
It is said that this system will be temporary (like the ‘three weeks to save the NHS’) – we can only hope the delay in implementation will make it even more redundant.
Implementing this ridiculous measure, which now has the worrying input of Anthony Blair, has the potential to put a barrier in front of reopening from lockdown. Even when shops and pubs are open, requiring a vaccine or a negative test of customers to do something as trivial as have a pint or visit a retail chain could actually be a disincentive for people to get back out there to help our struggling economy.
Huge venues requiring tests is, in my view, entirely sensible, because of the sheer density of people. But when it comes to shops and pubs, this is completely unnecessary (even more so if screens are to stay in place).
This is yet another step down the road to forced vaccination. Either we operate by the consent of individuals or we don’t operate at all.
The UK’s lockdown has been one of the strictest in the world in terms of actual regulations. When we open up we have to do so without roadblocks like this being in the way. If the Government has any sense, which they seem to have lost as of late, they’ll throw out any idea of a domestic passport system.
