You don’t have to take your suitcase and neck pillow out of storage just yet.
In light of the hype and rumors surrounding the so-called ‘vaccine passport’, the World Health Organization has issued a statement warning transportation officials that such permission would not guarantee travelers are immune from spreading COVID-19 in any way.
Evidence of immunization would be a moot requirement, as there are still more “critical unknowns regarding the effectiveness of vaccination in reducing transmission,” the WHO said.
“The WHO also recommends that vaccinated people should not be exempted from complying with other travel risk mitigation measures,” they wrote in a Feb. 5 statement on proposed digital passports proving that a person has been vaccinated.
They also discouraged the possibility that prudent international travelers would squeeze the already scarce vaccination doses of the coronavirus, putting disadvantaged groups at continued risk of exposure – and lengthening their lockdown isolation period.
“Persons who do not have access to an authorized COVID-19 vaccine would be unfairly impeded in their freedom of movement if proof of vaccination status became a precondition for entry or exit from a country,” the WHO wrote. “National authorities should choose public health interventions that least violate individual freedom of movement.”
The US, UK and other European leaders have publicly considered pursuing safe travel programs and strategies that would pave the way for a rehabilitation in the travel industry, enabling greater mobility between countries following a pandemic that has been increasing worldwide since last winter. lost more than 2.5 million lives. . In addition to international travel, the permit may provide access to bars and restaurants.
Public health experts outside the WHO ranks also criticize the proposal.
“I can see that they could be useful in the longer term, but I am concerned that they are being considered at the moment when I think the scientific evidence does not support them. And there are a lot of ethical concerns about them that I think are legitimate, ”said Dr. Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University in London, according to a CNBC report on Thursday.
“We know very little about the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing infection or even asymptomatic disease against different variants circulating in different countries,” added Dr. Gurdasani adds.
The statements come at a time when scientists are learning more than ever about the enigmatic disease, including a study reported Wednesday that found the coronavirus can survive for up to three days on fabric, including cotton and polyester blends – removed only by scorching hot water. and dish soap.