The U.K. Says It Will Figure Out Vaccine Passports. We’ll See.
Boris Johnson’s government is exploring how to make a system work practically and ethically. He’ll need to bring the public along.
The new golden ticket.
Photographer: Geoff Caddick/WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe
When Boris Johnson mentioned “Covid status certification” in Parliament, he did so gingerly. After initially dismissing the idea, the U.K., like many other governments, is now considering whether some kind of proof of vaccination should be used to restore normal economic life.
Johnson’s decision to conduct a lengthy review into the matter — with cabinet trouble-shooter Michael Gove leading — says a couple of things. First, the government thinks that a vaccine certification could be useful not simply for international travel but in getting the economy fully reopened and in nudging some vaccine holdouts. Second, Downing St. knows that adopting such a system will come down to whether the public accepts the tradeoff of more government control for more freedom. That won’t be easy.