At the same time, on February 21 this year, Israel has become the first country
in the world where this 'Vaccine Passport' has been declared mandatory. On the contrary, the World Health
Organization (WHO) has advised that no such passport should be made necessary
for any country. As a
result, a debate has started regarding the necessity of ‘Vaccine Passport’
among all nations. While some countries are supporting this type of passport,
many are opposing it.
What is this 'Vaccine Passport'? What is the relation of such
kind of passport to the corona epidemic? Why WHO doesn't want to make it
mandatory at global level? Why arguments has been started among all countries
about its imperative? Let's try to know through this article.
What is this 'Vaccine Passport'?
The corona pandemic has shaken lives and the economy globally
since it came into existence in December 2019. In view of which all the
countries are taking many precautionary measures against Corona. One of these
efforts is 'Vaccine Passport'. This passport will act like a health card for a
citizen of any country, in which he will have to give all the necessary
information related to corona vaccination. For example, whether he got the
vaccine or not, whether he has had a corona test or not, was the result
positive or negative, etc. It is also important for you to know that since the
'Vaccine Passport' would mandatory, it
should be have with you not only during global travel but also while visiting a
place in your own country. For example, at the time of a public tour, entry in a stadium, office or
cinema hall. You will be allowed only if you have a passport, otherwise not.
'Vaccine passport' will be in digital form
Although the vaccine passport is being understood as a
'physical passport', but let us tell you that the 'vaccine passport' will be in
a digital format like other documents. Basically, this passport will be a proof that the passport holder has been
vaccinated against COVID-19 and is completely safe and fully fit to travel. Another
advantage of 'Vaccine Passport' would be that it would help in keeping a
digital record of the corona vaccination taking place in any country. However,
the 'Vaccine Passport' is yet to be approved universally.
The Covid-19 Vaccine Passport/Certificate will be a one-piece
document which can be issued to a traveler in both a paper and digital format.
It would consist some details like:
Vaccine Passport details
Test certificate
Recovery certificate
Those holding such a document will be able to travel easily.
WHO will have a special role in implementing 'Vaccine
Passport' globally
The World Health Organization (WHO) is believed to have a
special role in the context of vaccine passports. In which WHO will have to
take a list of trusted bodies or institutions from every country in the world
that will issue e-certificates for corona testing and vaccination. Along with
this, these institutions will also have to give complete information about
people traveling internationally to WHO. Not only this, vaccination certificate, corona test and
vaccine passport will also have to be uploaded on the WHO portal. The
organization will tally these documents to determine whether the certificate
and passport are authentic or not. After this the QR code of the passenger will
be issued, on the basis of which he will be able to travel.
Currently WHO is against this ‘Vaccine Passport’
According to WHO Chief Dr Michael Ryan- As of now, neither
the vaccine has been fully developed globally nor the available vaccine has
been properly distributed in all countries. In such a situation, making vaccine
passports mandatory can be tantamount to discriminating against people who are
deprived of the vaccine. Apart from this, there is no evidence yet as to how
long the effect and immunity lasts from the numerous licensed
Covid-19 vaccines. In such a
situation, only giving exemption to those who have taken the vaccine will not
prove to be right. WHO had also pointed out that introducing such
passports would also have implications for countries' vaccination drives.
"Considering that there is limited availability of vaccines, preferential
vaccination of travellers could result in inadequate supplies of vaccines for
priority populations considered at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease.
He also stated that the vaccine passport
strategy might not be fair to individuals who cannot get vaccinated for certain
reasons. He highlighted that requiring vaccine passports might support
inequality and unfairness further being involved in the system.
- Must Read:Neysara Rai is the first Indian transwoman to be featured at JFK Center and has been selected for 'Vital Voice Movement'
- Must Read:MNCs love for India
Why India is also opposing the ‘Vaccine Passport’
India has opposed the idea of a vaccine passport to make
international travel easier during the battle with COVID-19 pandemic and said
that the idea would be discriminatory for Indians. Dr Harsh Vardhan, the Union
health minister, told a G7 health ministers' conference to which India was invited –“that
vaccine passports would be discriminatory to people in the developing world
since such countries have so far been able to vaccinate a far smaller share of
its population than the wealthier countries. Compare the US' 40%-plus proportion of the eligible population that
has received full vaccination against just over 3% people in India who've got both their doses.
Apart from
that one of the COVID-19 vaccines
used in India - Covaxin, is yet to receive emergency use authorization from the
WHO, which means that even if someone has taken both shots of the vaccine, it
may not be recognized by the country they intend to travel.
Countries working on Vaccination Passport
The US has also started work on the 'Vaccination Passport',
in which the Health and Technical team of New York is working to create a
digital vaccination passport through it’s National Health Service app.
According to Bloomberg's report - because most of Thailand's economy is based
on tourism, in such a situation, vaccination passports are going to be issued
here soon. Apart from that the European Union, some Asian governments and the
airline industry are practicing to evolve so-called Covid-19 'Vaccine
Passports' to help to resume international travel. Meanwhile, China and Japan are all working on their own
digital vaccination certificates and passports for cross-border travel.
The European Commission has announced it intends to open up to foreign tourists this summer, and plans for a digital certificate for travel, which would cover anyone vaccinated against COVID-19 or those who have had a negative test or have recently recovered. Its proposed Digital Green Certificate will facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the pandemic
'Vaccine Passport' also gets support from Global Tourism
Crisis Committee
Recently, at the meeting of the International Tourism
Organization Global Tourism Crisis Committee in Madrid, Spain, it has been
decided that the 'Vaccine Passport' must be included as an essential travel
document to bring the tourism business back on track again. During this
meeting, measures to be adopted to start international tourism safely were
discussed. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) – “It is
necessary to start tourism, it cannot wait any longer, there should be a
certificate along with the vaccine and a guarantee for people to move from one
country to another in a safe way.”
0 Comments