Boris Johnson’s announcement about vaccine passports was met with criticism from backbenchers on both sides of the political spectrum. The scheme was described as potentially ‘discriminatory’ with warnings that it may lead to a ‘two-tier’ Britain. Labour leader Keir Starmer even said the use of vaccine passports is ‘not British.’
Given the deep suspicion towards national identification cards, this did not come a surprise. But if the government eventually chooses to use vaccine passports, some lessons from Israel’s experience may be helpful.
Despite their cultural differences, the Israeli and British publics are protective of their democratic rights and liberal freedoms
Israel has been giving digital certificates to people following their second vaccination or issuing ‘recovery certificates’ to those who have had Covid-19. The scheme started in February – only after every adult in the country had been offered a vaccine. To register for a passport online, Israelis need to give their ID or passport number, date of birth, and approval for their health care provider to verify the person has received the vaccine or recovered from Covid.
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