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The UK government is as a way of bringing people back to offices and factories. Some countries are already using them, while others weigh up the risks and benefits. Where will we use them, who will need them and why are they so controversial?

What is a covid-19 vaccine passport?

There is no set definition. According to the UK Department of Health and Social Care, it involves using testing or vaccination data to confirm in different settings that people have a lower risk of transmitting covid-19 to others. This then allows the bearer to travel or enter certain venues or, potentially, professions. The UK government is currently calling it 鈥渃ovid status certification鈥�.

What will they look like?

Several ideas have been touted, most of which involve digital or paper evidence of vaccination or immunity through prior infection. These may take the form of apps, QR codes, paper permits or paper certification.

Is anyone using them already?

In January, Saudi Arabia became one of the first countries to create a vaccine passport for covid-19, which works using an app, developed by the country鈥檚 ministry of health. In February, Israel in the form of a QR code that people can present as proof of vaccination, which some Israeli businesses and places of worship ask for as a condition of entry. The pass is valid for six months and is effective the week after receiving the second dose of a vaccine. People who have recovered from covid-19 can also use the pass, which is valid until 30 June. Estonia is also working with the World Health Organization on its own digital vaccine certificate.

One of the biggest schemes will be the European Commission鈥檚 , which is being developed to allow people to travel between the European Union鈥檚 27 member states. The proposed certificate will provide proof that a person has been vaccinated against covid-19, received a negative test result or recovered from the disease. They will be issued either in digital form or on paper. Both will have a QR code that contains key information as well as a digital signature for authentication.

What is the UK going to do?

The A review, which is being produced with close engagement from devolved administrations, is expected to be published in June. The government is also considering whether to make proof of vaccination mandatory for care workers in England. Prime minister Boris Johnson has hinted that certificates may be required for other settings in England too, such as offices and pubs, but that this could be left up to the individual venues.

Will people need them to travel internationally?

鈥淚 think some sort of certification is becoming almost inevitable for travel,鈥� says Melinda Mills at the University of Oxford, co-author of a recent on vaccine passports. Beyond governments, Mills says the aviation industry has been the most enthusiastic adopter of vaccine passports. IATA, the global airline trade body, is developing a digital 鈥渢ravel pass鈥� to include vaccination status. is already trialling allowing passengers to upload proof of vaccination in advance of travel for countries that require it for entry. Meanwhile, the using proof of vaccination as a condition for international travel, in part because there are in reducing transmission.

Will children need a vaccine passport to travel?

Children haven鈥檛 been included in any vaccine roll outs yet, although trials of covid-19 vaccines in under-18s are under way globally. Several countries have proposed vaccinating children by the end of the year. 鈥淚 could see them potentially being introduced for international travel, but it seems unlikely given equity and access issues in other areas,鈥� says Tom Sasse at think tank The Institute For Government in London.

However, Elliot Jones at the Ada Lovelace Institute, UK, points out that in Israel, children older than 1 face the same green pass restrictions as adults, and can be added to a parent鈥檚 pass if they can prove recovery from covid-19. So vaccine passports for children 鈥渨ouldn鈥檛 be unprecedented internationally鈥�, he says.

Why are vaccine passports controversial?

As the WHO notes, it is still not clear how effective vaccination or prior infection is at reducing transmission of the original virus, or newer variants.

In addition, passports risk excluding or discriminating against some groups of people, says Mills. Those include people with allergies, pregnant women and children who cannot yet be vaccinated. There will also be legitimate vaccine hesitancy in some groups, potentially along lines of ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Moreover, the risk of exclusion depends on the progress of different countries鈥� vaccine roll outs.

Israel introduced its certificates when every adult had been given the opportunity to be vaccinated. Given many other countries, including the UK, have a policy of vaccinating the oldest first, any introduction of a vaccine certificate before a vaccine roll out is complete would create an age inequality, says Mills.

For example, you might see older, vaccinated people eating at a restaurant without restrictions, while younger, unvaccinated people may need to pay for a covid-19 test for entry. A hands-off approach by governments that leaves decisions to the private sector could exacerbate social divisions too, says Mills, with some 鈥渆lite pubs鈥� having all staff and customers vaccinated, and others advertising they are proud to let everybody in.

Digital-only passports risk further exclusion. Mills says Saudi Arabia鈥檚 system only works for certain smartphones, for example.

Data security is another major concern, along with civil liberty issues and government surveillance, particularly in countries with poor human rights records.

Certificates can be forged too. Fake certificates have already been , and Israel has warned citizens they face prosecution for forgeries.

How useful are passports in preventing the spread of the virus?

The answer isn鈥檛 yet clear. The Royal Society report says that to place greater confidence in vaccine certification, more information is needed about the efficacy of vaccines in preventing infection and transmission by currently circulating viruses and genetic variants, and the duration of immunity from vaccination and illness to determine how often vaccine passports need to be renewed.

How long will we need vaccine passports?

The European Commission says its certificates are a temporary measure, which will be suspended when the WHO declares the end of the pandemic. But whether vaccine passports are short-lived or last indefinitely is still an open question for many parts of the world.

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