The vaccine passport, called a “collar” by President Jair Bolsonaro, has already been adopted by leaders of different political hues around the world as a measure to stop the spread of Covid and, above all, encourage adherence to the immunization campaign.
The main examples are in countries that have a robust share of the population with a complete vaccination schedule — usually above 70%, a rate praised by public health experts. This is the case of Portugal (90%), Chile (88%), France (76%), Italy (76%), United Kingdom (71%), Greece (70%) and Israel (65.4%).
It is true that the measure is invariably accompanied by criticism. Paris, the French capital, has seen protests since the government of Emmanuel Macron proposed, and the legislature approved, a new vaccination passport for people over 16 years old. More than 2,000 gathered on Saturday (29) in opposition to what they say is an attack on individual freedoms.
The rule requires proof of vaccination to be presented in public places, such as restaurants and bars, and came into effect last week to, in Macron’s words, “annoy the unvaccinated”, who have committed an “immense moral fault”.
But the street demonstrations do not mean that opposition to the measure is a majority expression. When asked about the requirement for a vaccination passport in food spaces, 47% of French people said they supported it, and only 32% opposed it, in a survey conducted in September by the YouGov institute. In the case of large public events, those in favor were 57%, and those against, 23%.
The same survey revealed that the presentation of proof of vaccination as a condition for accessing public places enjoys substantial support across Europe. In Brazil, the scenario is similar: this month’s Datafolha survey showed that 81% of the population is in favor of the vaccination passport for entry into closed places, such as offices, bars, restaurants and concert halls.
Although new to some nations, the measure already has history in other places. Israel, for example, was one of the pioneers in adopting the vaccine passport, in February 2021. At the time, with 20% of the population with both doses —Brazil had less than 0.1%—, the country sought a tool that allowed to reopen common spaces, such as synagogues, while reducing the risk of contagion.
Since then, minor flexibilities have been made. With 65% of the population vaccinated and the fourth dose of the immunizer being applied, proof is generally required at events with more than 50 people, restaurants, gyms and universities. But a new front of discussion was recently opened by the health authorities.
The Ministry of Health’s advisory panel recommended that the so-called Green Pass be reviewed, arguing that the high transmissibility of the omicron variant makes the measure insufficient. Specialists from the Israeli portfolio have hypothesized that the passport can create a false impression of security, leading to fewer precautions, and, consequently, greater risks of infection.
Politics is also a reality in Portugal, which has been the most vaccinated country in the world for months. When the ômicron became the predominant variant, leading to a rise in cases and hospitalizations, Prime Minister António Costa announced measures to encourage the reinforcement of vaccination – 44% have already taken the third dose.
The vaccine passport was resumed to access restaurants, tourist establishments and cultural shows. Specific cases, such as visits to nursing homes or hospitalized patients, also make it necessary to present a negative test, even for fully vaccinated individuals.
And you don’t have to go far to find examples of the measure, as one of them is in the neighborhood of Brazil. The most vaccinated country in South America, Chile adopts the so-called mobility pass, proof of immunization required in most places.
Since January 1, the local government has disabled the pass of those over 18 years of age who have not received the booster dose, available six months after the second dose and currently applied to 65.7% of the Chilean population. The update — yet another push for the unvaccinated to immunize themselves — has already been similarly adopted by the European Union.
The European bloc announced in December that the vaccination passport, which allows the transit of citizens between member countries, will be valid for nine months, starting from the date on which the individual received the second dose or the single dose. In order for it to be renewed, you will need to take a booster dose.
One of the EU members, Greece has also adopted restrictions on the unvaccinated since the second half of last year, despite the resumption of tourism, a sector that represents a quarter of the country’s GDP, being one of the government’s priorities. The sector has been hard hit by the pandemic: while the country received 34 million visitors in 2019, with a net revenue of 18 billion euros, in 2020 these figures fell to 7.4 million and 4.6 billion, respectively.
Vaccination passport is required by the Greek government in closed food areas, entertainment venues, museums and gyms. The only places that are left out of the list are supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies and public transport.
Italy is another European example that has tightened restrictions recently. The government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi excluded the possibility of testing negative for Covid when accessing bars, restaurants and public transport. Since January 10, only proof of vaccination —with the certificate dubbed the Super Green Pass— is valid to enter these spaces.
“Most of the problems that we are facing today are due to the fact that there are unvaccinated people, who are much more likely to develop severe forms of the disease and put pressure on hospitals”, justified the prime minister.
It is also true that this type of policy puts pressure on the rulers who support it, and an example is in the UK. When the omicron variant led to an explosion of cases and hospitalizations, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a package that provided for the sanitary pass. The episode generated a political crisis, as members of Boris’ party expressed their repudiation of the tightening of the rules.
The plan was approved by Parliament but lasted just over a month. Pressured, this time due to a series of irregular events while the country was in confinement, Boris found himself cornered by requests for resignation and overturned restrictions, including the health passport.
In the US, in the absence of a national directive, the implementation of measures such as the vaccine passport is at the discretion of state and local administrations. In August, New York City became the first to require proof of vaccination for anyone who wants to go to bars, restaurants and other commercial establishments. Meanwhile, state leaders, especially Republicans, have passed laws banning such measures.
Joe Biden, in different statements, stated that companies should consider requiring proof of immunization. He tried to establish that workers in large companies had to be vaccinated, but was blocked by the Supreme Court. Already the mandatory immunization for health professionals in places that receive federal funds, also claimed by the president, was approved.
.
Source: Folha
