Clarity still needed on effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine passports, says UN health agency

(United Nations News) Being vaccinated against COVID-19 may not prevent transmission and vaccination passports may not be an “effective strategy” for restarting travel, the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned on Tuesday.

“At this stage, we would not like to see vaccination passports as a requirement for entry or exit because we are not sure at this stage that the vaccine prevents transmissions,” said WHO spokesperson Dr Margaret Harris, just ahead of World Health Day on 7 April 2021.

Being vaccinated against #COVID19 may not prevent transmission and that vaccination passports may not be an “effective strategy” for restarting travel, informs @WHO at the @UNGeneva press briefing today. pic.twitter.com/LpybYlL1S7

— UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) April 6, 2021

Dr. Harris added that vaccine passports may not be an effective strategy as “not everyone has access to vaccines and there are groups in society who are excluded…We are still waiting on adequate supplies to provide the vaccines to all the countries that need them.”

Highlighting how COVID-19 has impacted some people more than others, Dr. Harris said that the virus “has really exposed the stark inequities in access to and coverage of health services…Groups who already faced discrimination, poverty, social exclusion, difficult living and working conditions were the hardest hit by the pandemic”.

Read more at: United Nations News

Source: CARICOM TODAY