For now, you don’t need to take off your suitcase and neck pillow.
In light of the hype and rumors surrounding the so-called “vaccine passport”, the World Health Organization has issued a statement warning transport officials that such permits would not guarantee that passengers are immune to the spread of COVID-19 one way or another.
Proof of immunization would be a questionable requirement, as there are still several “unknown criticisms of the effectiveness of vaccination in reducing transmission,” the WHO said.
“The WHO also recommends that vaccinated people not be exempted from other travel risk reduction measures,” they wrote in a February 5 statement on proposed digital passports showing that a person has been vaccinated.
They also discouraged the possibility of cautious international travelers taking control of already rare doses of coronavirus vaccine, putting disadvantaged groups at constant risk of exposure – and extending their isolation.
“People who do not have access to an authorized COVID-19 vaccine would be unfairly prevented from moving freely if proof of vaccination status becomes a condition for entering or leaving a country,” the WHO wrote. “National authorities should choose public health interventions that least affect individual freedom of movement.”
The United States, the United Kingdom, and other European leaders have publicly reviewed safe travel programs and strategies that would pave the way for a rehabilitation of the travel industry, allowing for greater mobility between countries following a pandemic that lost more than 2.5 percent. millions of lives worldwide since last winter. In addition to international travel, the license could allow access to bars and restaurants.
Public health experts outside the ranks of the WHO have also criticized this proposal.
“I see that it could be useful in the long run, but I have more concerns that they are being taken into account at this time when I think the scientific evidence does not support them. And there are a lot of ethical concerns about them that I think are legitimate, “said Dr. Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University in London, according to a CNBC report on Thursday.
“We know very little about the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing infection or even asymptomatic diseases against several variants circulating in different countries,” added Dr. Gurdasani.
The allegations come at a time when scientists are learning more than ever about enigmatic disease, including a study reported Wednesday that revealed coronavirus can survive on tissues, including cotton and polyester blends, for up to three days – away only with burning hot water and detergent.