UK ditches plans for vaccine passports at crowded venues

September 12, 2021

LONDON (AP) — Authorities in Britain have decided not to require vaccine passports for entry into nightclubs and other crowded events in England, Britain’s health secretary said Sunday, reversing course amid opposition from some of the Conservative government’s supporters in Parliament.

Health Minister Sajid Javid said the government has shelved the idea of vaccine passports for now but could reconsider the decision if COVID-19 cases rise exponentially once again.

“We’ve looked at it properly and whilst 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,” Javid told the BBC.

The U-turn came just days after both the government’s vaccines minister and the culture secretary suggested that vaccine passports would still be necessary, despite growing opposition from lawmakers.

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England abandons vaccine passport plans

By Claire Parker
September 12, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. EDT

As more countries turn to coronavirus vaccination requirements in a bid to bring the pandemic to heel, England is moving in a different direction.

“I’m pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports,” U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC’s Andrew Marr on Sunday.

“There’s a lot of defenses … that we need to keep in place because this virus hasn’t gone anywhere, there’s still a pandemic, so of course, we need to remain cautious,” he said. “But we just shouldn’t be doing things for the sake of it or because others are doing it.”

The announcement marked a reversal of the government’s plan to require proof of full vaccination to enter nightclubs and other crowded venues in England. Intended to incentivize vaccine uptake, especially among young people, the system had been expected to take effect at the end of the month.

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