How the UK ditching the vaccine passport in England will impact Australia’s plan

It’s the green tick set to be our ticket to freedom. But with the UK government abandoning ship on vaccine passports, will Australia follow suit?

The UK has dumped plans to use a vaccine passport to allow double-jabbed residents more freedoms, so will Australia follow suit? Picture: Jenny Evans/NCA NewsWire

It was set to be Australia’s ticket to freedom.

A digital document paving the way to reopening the country, and a critical key to returning to a form of pre-covid “normal”.

But while many agreed the “vaccine passport” was our strongest weapon out of the pandemic, others argued such a plan created a moral and ethical dilemma in society.

The vaccine passport – a document that signifies whether the holder has been fully vaccinated or not – essentially slices society into categories, with one side of the fence eligible for certain freedoms while the other is left out in the cold.

Digital vaccine passports have been scrapped in England, so will Australia follow suit?

England ditches vaccine passports

After reopening in July – with residents free to enter pubs, clubs and even travel overseas – the UK government has sensationally dumped its plan to rollout vaccine passports across England, despite cases continuing to soar.

Overnight, British health Minister Sajid Javid flagged it as unlikely England would ever return to lockdowns despite rising cases in the country – and that the government will also drop its plan to make people show a vaccine passport for entry to crowded events.

Claiming he “never liked the idea” in the first place, vaccine passports were set to be introduced at the end of this month – a timely launch date given the country’s growing case numbers.

The BBC reported that Scotland was taking a different approach and would bring in vaccine passports for over-18’s entry to nightclubs and large events from October. Ministers in Wales will make a decision next week and so far there are no plans for a vaccine passport scheme in Northern Ireland.

UK health Minister Sajid Javid announced the country would not impose a Covid-19 ‘vaccine passport’ system in England to verify vaccination status at concerts, nightclubs and other venues. Picture: Hollie Adams/Getty Images

Mr Javid said after analysing the data and given the high vaccine uptake, there was no longer a need to rollout mandatory vaccine passports for residents to prove whether they’ve had the jab or not.

“We’ve looked at it properly and while we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I’m pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports,” Mr Javid told the BBC.

Speaking to news.com.au, senior lecturer of social sciences at The University of Western Australia, Dr Katie Attwell, said the UK’s decision to abandon lockdowns and shelve their vaccine passport plan in England was “really risky” and driven around public policy rather than health advice.

“The UK government is making policy for its own context,” Dr Attwell explained of the decision, casting doubt that Australian state and territory leaders would follow suit.

“One thing that has been very clear about (UK primer Minister) Boris Johnson’s handling of the pandemic in general is that it lurches from one public policy to another.

“The government’s initial pandemic response was informed by plans their government had in place for a pandemic scenario, but very quickly they moved from those plans to lockdowns. “There seems to be very little wisdom and long term planning.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s response to the pandemic has been thrown into question. Picture: Kate Green/Getty Images for The National Lottery

“The current lurch seems to be very much informed by Boris Johnson’s concerns around frittering away the political capital that his government has with their conservative base. They are facing a massive health and social policy crisis,” said Dr Attwell.

“They need to pay for things that are falling apart, their own NHS [National Health Service] is extremely overburdened.

“Boris Johnson’s base are not going to like paying a lot of tax to support health and social policy because that’s not their jam.

“So I think they are playing to that base with this policy, and I think it’s really risky at this point to say, ‘OK, we are done here’ especially going into winter when people are all indoors.”

While certain states within Australia have already announced measures to deprive those unvaccinated against Covid-19 of certain liberties afforded to the vaccinated population, some fear the UK government’s decision could dismantle our reopening blueprint.

Last week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced certain freedoms will be granted to those who have received the double jab by mid-October, including a visit to the pub, hanging out with a group of mates and even regional road trips.

An Israeli man shows his ‘green pass’ (proof of being fully vaccinated against Covid) as the UK announces it’s scrapped plans for a vaccination passport in England. Picture: Jack Guez/AFP

The catch? Well, you’ll need a digital document on your phone (or a print out of your vaccination status) to prove you’ve had the jab. Those without the vaccination will not be granted the same freedoms.

For NSW residents, the “passport” will be available inside the Service NSW app, with customer service Minister Victor Dominello saying the idea would be for people to get their vaccine certificate from the Federal Government and pull it across to the app.

A trial is expected for the first two weeks of October.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has long pushed the plan of granting “special rules” to the vaccinated population for one simple reason.

“If you’re vaccinated, you present less of a public health risk. You are less likely to get the virus. You are less likely to transmit it. You are less likely to get a serious illness and be hospitalised, and you are less likely to die,” he said in August.

Australian social sciences expert Dr Katie Attwell, said the UK’s decision to abandon the vaccine passport and future lockdowns was ‘really risky’. Picture: Hollie Adams/Getty Images

Dr Attwell said the big question was around how long individual states and territories will implement the vaccine passport for, especially if and when jurisdictions reach vaccine coverage upwards of 80 per cent.

“I would say no, [vaccine passports] will not be around forever.

“At some point you would roll back that [vaccine passport] system, but would be doing it under the circumstances when you feel very much on top of the pandemic and your health system is functioning.

“Let’s not forget the two states looking to bring it in are the two states that have let go of the zero-covid strategy. They cannot get on top of this thing, and so they need to get people vaccinated very quickly and they need to motivate those people and also give their population something to look forward to and something to work toward,” she said.

“Hopefully for the other states in Australia, we will be making a decision about letting covid in when we have sufficient vaccination coverage that we think our health systems will be able to manage it.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced certain freedoms will be given to vaccinated residents once the state reaches 70 per cent double vaccination. Picture: Jenny Evans/NCA NewsWire

Vaccine passports ‘divide people’

While Australia scrambles to reach the vaccination rate of 80 per cent,

detractors say a national passport plan will unfairly punish some members of society who, for various reasons, choose not to be vaccinated.

“Vaccine passports are not a good idea,” Queensland Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan tweeted in response to the revised UK vaccine passport announcement.

“They divide people, put costs on small businesses and probably can’t be enforced anyway. Good to see UK dropping plans for a ‘papers please’ state.”

Last month, Victorian Liberal MP Russell Broadbent also voiced apprehension around the passport plan, especially if required for domestic travel.

“While private companies are entitled to make whatever decisions they like regarding vaccine passports, I have to say I feel uncomfortable, really uncomfortable, about the use of vaccine passports being made mandatory for domestic travel,” he said.

Demonstrators have marched around the world against mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for certain workers, and the mandatory use of health passports. Picture: Thomas Samson/AFP

“Equally, I know many people are supportive of the idea. Any decisions about vaccine passports need to be carefully considered.”

Mr Morrison, who has never really liked the word “vaccine passport”, said no matter what you want to call it – proof of vaccination will become a part of Australia’s everyday life.

“Any venue, any pub, any cafe, any restaurant, any shop can, has every right under Australia’s property laws to be able to deny entry to people who are unvaccinated,” he said in an interview with Sky News Australia.

Is the green tick our best key to reopening the country.

What about those who can’t be vaccinated?

Dr Attwell said in other countries those who opt out of vaccination need proof of a negative test result each time they choose to enter a venue. The result lasts for 72 hours before the person must renew if they choose to enter a venue after the test has expired.

The UWA academic said any vaccine passport rolled out by state and territory governments would need exemptions that “don’t punish people who are too sick to be vaccinated or cannot be vaccinated”.

“I’m interested in building an economy that those people who cannot for medical reasons get vaccinated can enjoy various venues with reduced risk of infection,” she said, adding that passports can act as a protection for people who cannot be vaccinated.

There are questions around whether certain states will uptake a vaccine passport over others. Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire

Dr Attwell added that the process in which states and territories roll out vaccine passports — if they choose to do so — is “technical and complex” and not a one size fits all approach.

“In Western Australia, we are all free and easy and enjoying ourselves. If venues here were suddenly to say, you can’t come in unless you’re vaccinated – that would be a loss of our immediate freedom and that may face resistance.

“But in states that don’t have those freedoms, having a staged reassess to those freedoms for vaccinated people, I think the behavioural aspects of that works a bit better.

“It is technical and complex. We are not a country with covid, we are states managing and experiencing covid in different circumstances.”