Vaccine certification as a means of unlocking British society would not be discriminatory, the UK vaccines secretary insisted on Tuesday, as the proposal continues to spark controversy in the UK.
The minister, Nadhim Zahawi, said such a demand raises “a number of ethical issues”, but “it would be remiss for us as a government” not to look at all options to reopen the economy and “take back our lives”.
No decision has been made yet, he said on BBC Breakfast, but “what we ultimately decide must be workable, must be non-discriminatory. You cannot have some kind of two or more layer system. “
Zahawi’s comments – echoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s words a day earlier – are the latest hint that a government that ever ruled out the possibility of “vaccine passports” is slipping towards its introduction.
Zahawi himself previously rejected the idea of introducing a vaccine passport: “First, we don’t know the impact of the vaccines on transmission. Two, it would be discriminatory, ”he told Sky News in February.
But the scheme will now be trialled for large-scale events, cinemas and theaters in the coming weeks.
Asked on BBC Breakfast how this will be possible without being discriminatory, Zahawi said: “There will not be a situation where a government will allow that to happen, but it is only good that we look at all technologies.
He continued, “Anyone can get a test, there is no discrimination, anyone can get a test, not everyone can get a vaccine. […] that’s why we need to look at all technologies, make sure they work together to get us where we need to be. “
The topic received both support and backlash from across the political spectrum, with several figures in Johnson’s own conservative party opposing the idea of vaccine passports.
The government released an update on its review on relaxing lockdown restrictions on Monday, stating, “Even without government intervention, Covid status certification is likely to become a part of our lives until the threat of the pandemic abates.”
Separately, Zahawi confirmed that the Moderna vaccine is on track to be rolled out in the UK “around the third week of April”.