By UME
The British authorities have decided not to introduce a vaccination record because the vaccination coverage rate is high enough.
No vaccination certificate in the UK
This is good news for Britons who value their freedoms. Uk Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC on 12th September that plans to introduce a vaccination passport for access to certain places and events have been finally abandoned.
Despite the 35,000 new infections reported daily in the country last week, according to health services, the British authorities have been able to maintain a certain distance from the situation.
Number of cases reported per day in the UK according to coronavirus.data.gov.uk
The passport in question would therefore have had to be presented at the entrance of facilities such as nightclubs and would also have required access to certain major events from the end of September.
Sajid Javid said: “We have thought it through thoroughly and while we should keep it in mind as a possible option, I am pleased to say that we will not pursue our vaccination records programme.
Despite higher vaccination coverage, France is stubborn
One of the main arguments in favour of the UK Department of Health’s decision was the fact that more than 80% of the UK population over the age of 16 had already received two doses of the vaccine, while the Minister admitted that he “doesn’t like the idea that people need to present papers to do basic things. A view that his French counterpart Olivier Véran clearly does not share.
On the other side of the English Channel, this policy change was all the more remarkable because just last week the Minister of Vaccines, Nadhim Zahawi, declared that the vaccination record system was “the best way” to keep the industry open at night. However, the measure has been criticised by the nightlife industry, which has called the introduction of the pass “problematic”. In addition, London is not planning any new lockdown measures for the future.
This pragmatism should inspire French leaders, who are guided by ideological delusion rather than health realities. While the health passport is in force in France until November 15, the executive does not rule out an extension beyond that date. It also does not preclude compulsory vaccination for all.
By comparison, as of September 13, 2021, 80.2% of the eligible population in France had received all the necessary doses of the vaccine. The population affected includes people aged 12 and over (compared to 16 years and older in the UK).
This article was first published by BREIZH-INFO, our partner in the EUROPEAN MEDIA COOPERATION.