British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has released a “road map” for lifting coronavirus lockdown restrictions. It would allow Britons to resume normal life. But navigating this road map might, at least in part, be dependent on whether citizens have been vaccinated.
All adults in the United Kingdom are set to receive their first vaccine by the end of July. That would grant them access to large events, domestic travel, and possibly even bars and restaurants. It is unclear where these advantages would end or how they would be monitored. For example, having a so-called “vaccine passport” may provide people with an advantage when it comes to getting a job. The “passport” would theoretically involve a document as proof of vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test. The hope is that this will allow for coronavirus safe spaces that then facilitate an economic recovery. But Johnson has also said that people who can’t have a vaccine must not be discriminated against.
So how might it all work?
It’s possible that the passport would grant the holder permission to travel abroad. Several countries are likely to require proof of vaccination as a condition of entry, which will mean that those unable to receive the vaccine are not permitted to travel. Still, the British government is under growing pressure from the travel industry to allow holidays abroad from May 1. The “Save our Summer” campaign group is calling for early May holidays and for the government to ensure customers are entitled to a refund or date change if restrictions then change.
But there’s a lingering challenge.
Namely, the fact that one dose of the vaccine does not provide complete immunity from the virus. Around 40% of people who have received just one dose are not protected from the virus, compared to just 4% of those who have had their second dose. A rush to travel could precipitate a new coronavirus spike and new lockdowns. No one wants that.
There is also evidence to suggest that the vaccine does not stop someone from contracting or carrying the virus, only from becoming seriously ill. And while more than 15 million people have received their first shot in the U.K., there has been a significantly lower uptake among some minority groups. Polls suggest that up to 85% of the population is keen to receive the vaccine, but the 15% of the population in opposition skews heavily toward minority communities.
This helps explain why Johnson has outlined a review of the proposed plan. As he said, “We are mindful of the many concerns surrounding the exclusion, discrimination, and privacy. There may well be a role for certification, but we just need to get it right. This is an area where we’re looking at a novelty for our country. We haven’t had stuff like this before. We’ve never thought in terms of having something that you have to show to go to a pub or a theater. … There are deep and complex issues that we need to explore and ethical issues about what the role is for government in mandating … for people to have such a thing or indeed banning people from doing such a thing.”
Put simply, the government’s challenge is the same as it was nine months ago: to balance public health protection alongside the public desire to see a return to normalcy.
Nikki Peach is a freelance journalist based in London. She recently graduated from City, University of London with a master’s in broadcast journalism and writes about culture and current affairs.
