Deputy Richard Renouf said that linking vaccination to travel could create an ‘incentive’ for people who were vaccine-hesitant. He said Jersey was ahead of many countries with its vaccination programme and there were motivating factors to boost the economy. However, he added that some people were unable to have the vaccine and passports could raise ethical questions.
Speaking at the Youth Assembly yesterday, Archie Willetts, from Victoria College, asked the Health Minister whether the government would implement the requirement of vaccine passports for travellers to the Island.
The government announced on Monday that more than 55,000 Islanders had received a vaccine, including almost 11,500 receiving a second dose.
Deputy Renouf said: ‘There are motivating factors across all sectors for their implementation. The government is keen to reopen the economy, while individuals are hopeful for a return to “normal life”. Public-health experts continue to focus on reducing transmission of coronavirus and protecting the health and wellbeing of Islanders.
‘Jersey is ahead of many countries in the world with its vaccination programme. Further division between those vaccinated and unvaccinated has the potential to raise political and ethical questions. The success of the vaccination programme requires high population coverage. Linking vaccination to travel may provide an incentive for those who may otherwise be vaccine-hesitant.’
However, the minister added: ‘There are those who may be unable to receive the vaccine and receiving the vaccine is not mandatory. Imposing restrictions to travel based on vaccine status implicitly mandates vaccination, makes it a political issue and may have a negative impact on vaccine uptake. This could have a negative effect on the Island and undermine the success of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.’
Vaccine passports required a ‘fine balance’, Deputy Renouf said, between public health and the economic impact of the pandemic, along with consideration of individual liberties while aiming to protect the whole population.
In a follow-up question, the Health Minister was asked if there was a date for a decision on vaccine passports.
Deputy Renouf said he did not have a ‘precise date’.
‘So much depends on what is happening internationally,’ he said, adding there was ‘no point in Jersey creating something if it is not going to be recognised in the UK or other Crown Dependencies or Europe’.
Victoria College student Darius Kayley asked whether vaccine passports would be mandatory for all travelling to Jersey or only foreign nationals.
Deputy Renouf said the question was: ‘Would it be lawful or ethical to draw distinctions?’
The Deputy said it would be unfair if local people had a ‘free pass’, while UK citizens and those from other countries had to jump through hoops to get into Jersey and that ‘the same rules should apply to all arrivals’.
