Covid Passport

[titbumwillypoo]

Inspired by a mask discrimination thread it made me wonder what the legalities might be if the Governments of the world decided that you could only enter the country if you had, for example, a photo COVID-19 passport proving you had been vaccinated. Also, to extrapolate that out to giving individual businesses the right to refuse access to anyone not in possession of one.
AIBU - No that's discrimination
AINBU - Seems fair, many countries don't allow children into schools that haven't been vaccinated so it's the same on a bigger scale.

The current rollout for the UK does not include people under fifty (except those in vulnerable groups). Younger people will only get the vaccine if the benefit is deemed to outweigh the cost, a decision will not be made until they know the uptake in the priority categories. Until all groups are offered the vaccine, a passport style scheme would be unworkable.

I get that, but let's assume in the future everyone gets it I was thinking more about the legalities of choice vs public safety.

You can’t dictate what Other countries decide to do with their boarders.

Where we live, we are Covid free, our boarders are shut except under certain exemptions, and then the individuals have to self isolate for 14 days, no exception.

Why would we let in non vaccinated people?

You can choose not to be vaccinated, and stay home.

Not sure how it would be any different than the countries that don't let you in without a yellow fever vaccination. They check at the border and deny access based on it.

Governments of the world decided that you could only enter the country if you had, for example, a photo COVID-19 passport proving you had been vaccinated.

On what basis would it be discrimination? Your choice to not get the vaccine doesn’t trump a country’s law hun. If they don’t want you, tough.

Many countries require you to have a yellow fever vaccination before entry, I see no difference with COVID? It isn't a violation of rights...You don't want the vaccine? Then don't expect to travel...travelling isn't a right, it's a luxury.

I don’t understand how you can think your choice is on the same level as the law of a foreign country. Come on, you’re not that important. There’s many ways the law differs in countries outside of yours, you can’t demand they follow your rules because of “choice”.

When I lived and taught in Australia if there was a chicken pox outbreak at school all the unvaccinated dc were sent home.

It’s not discrimination in any meaningful sense, because choosing not to get vaccinated wouldn’t be a protected characteristic in any legal system. You would need to prove that there is a category of people who are protected that would be increasingly and legitimately more likely to not be vaccinated to claim indirect discrimination and I can’t think of anything remotely relevant.

Is it the US that don't allow entry to people HIV positive??

Not sure, it was something mentioned whikst discussing this with friends. Of true, it's similarly discriminatory.
The fact is some countries have got a very good grip on Covid so why would they want Brits or Northern Europeans in with the utter shit show we've madenof dealing with Covid. Sadlybus Brits and other northern European countries are considered a fucking disaster. If we were a Covid free country or one with no community tranamission woukd you want unvaccinated people entering your country??

I very much hope that when the vaccine is freely available it will be required for international travel.

Possibly discriminatory if they include those who can’t be vaccinated (ie medical contraindications and children).

Like I said I was inspired by a mask discrimination thread (I didn't want to hijack) At the minute you can go into a shop, say you're exempt and not be refused entry as that discriminates against people with various disabilities (rightly so) but the thinking behind businesses wanting to refuse is as simple as them wanting to keep their staff and customers safe (and stay open) which is also a valid reason. As my wife has just pointed out my wording sucks, basically whose rights trumps whose?

Theoretically masks aren’t a choice though. You either can’t wear one for a medical reason or you wear one. The equivalent would be those who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons.

There’s a massive difference between what a Tesco in Coventry would do and what border control at Dubai would do though.

The law of any other country trumps your choice not to get vaccinated. The only UK protected characteristics that are relevant are perhaps religion or pregnancy (if the vaccine is a contraindication) but it’s still likely that border control would refuse access to their country and you would have no recourse.

Whereas Tesco could refuse you access if they wanted to - it’s not that they’re legally not allowed. Tesco has chosen to have a more lax approach in the interests of customer service and profit, smaller retailers might push the point. You would have to take them to court if you wanted to claim discrimination and prove your case and allow the battle of public safety vs discrimination to be tested in law.

But can people who can't be vaccinated against yellow fever for medical reasons gain entry to those countries?

@BunnyBoilerRhian that hasn’t been the case for 10 years.

@titbumwillypoo

But can people who can't be vaccinated against yellow fever for medical reasons gain entry to those countries?

Nope

Plenty of countries have a required vaccination schedule.

I don't see how this is any different.

@titbumwillypoo

But can people who can't be vaccinated against yellow fever for medical reasons gain entry to those countries?

No.

The UK already requires a chest x-ray before giving a visa to nationals of certain countries. HIV testing is also required for some countries. Plus the yellow fever vaccination as mentioned above, and also cholera has been required in some places. So health requirements to cross borders are nothing new. Within the UK I can't see it being legal to enforce this in general (although there may be certain jobs for which it is a requirement e.g. care workers or NHS workers). Again this is already the case with hepatitis B vaccine and BCG vaccine being required for certain jobs. But I can't see it becoming allowable to restrict entry to normal activities or pubs, cafes, shops etc for this reason. Perhaps for high risk activities - although I can't think what they would be.

No-one has the right to enter foreign countries; if they make it a legal requirement to have the vaccine before they allow you in then that's up to them.

It may be discriminatory but it would not be illegal.

In terms of individual business in the UK, it would depend on why someone did not have the vaccine and whether it could be ruled that denial of admission was discriminatory. If someone can't have it for e.g. religious or health reasons then it could be deemed discrimination, but not perhaps if someone's been watching too many facebook videos.

@BungleandGeorge

Possibly discriminatory if they include those who can’t be vaccinated (ie medical contraindications and children).

Yeah. I think this would be the only real discrimination in your hypothetical.

Medical exemption letters are available. I think you’d be pretty unwise to travel to an area where it’s endemic though given the mortality rate