President Joe Biden issued an executive order in January instructing U.S. officials to study and digitize the feasibility of adding Covid-19 vaccination records to international vaccination cards.
The build-up to the vaccination of Covid-19 vaccines is accompanied by fears that any passport – basically a gateway to all access – would jeopardize privacy, fairness and human rights.
“Is this the new world we are going to live in forever?” asks Françoise Baylis, a bioethics expert consulted by Canadian and global authorities. “Governments have an obligation to decide not only what they allow, but also what they will not allow.”
Trudeau has yet to accept the idea and take his time, insiders say.
He dismissed the idea of the vaccine passport during an interview with Reuters in January, arguing that it was “laden with challenges.” He said he was concerned about creating ‘undesirable effects’ in communities because there are many reasons why someone does not get a shot.
Last week, Trudeau showed more receptivity, saying he heard ‘pros and cons’. Asked if he changes his mind, he notes how the recommendations of experts on Covid issues have evolved throughout the pandemic.
At home, Trudeau’s terror contrasts with the governments in Canada’s two most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec, which are ahead.
The provinces, which have authority under the frontline health services, have both indicated that they are working on certification systems that will enable them to reopen parts of their economies to people who have been vaccinated.
While Canada is immersed in a policy discussion on vaccine passports at various levels, here are a few factors that are discussed and discussed:
1. What would a vaccine passport mean anyway?
Given all the unknowns about Covid-19, its variants and the vaccines, there is skepticism about how effective a proof of vaccination should be.
This uncertainty underlies Trudeau’s hesitation about whether Canada should accept vaccine passports, a senior government source told POLITICO.
“Some provinces are currently exploring certification options, which is good,” said the source, who then added a few angles to consider.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter in public, said science was unclear about the immunity and risks of transmission for those vaccinated.
The person also underlined the issues of ethical and civil liberties, which they said led to possible court challenges. Some have warned of possible legal disputes if employers claim vaccinations for the vaccine, for example.
“That is why we are saying at this stage that our decisions will be based on science,” the source said.
Patty Hajdu, Trudeau’s health minister, told CBC’s Rosemary Barton Live that vaccination of the vaccine is a very lively international issue. She said it was on the agenda of meetings with her G-7 counterparts.
“It’s a dynamic space,” Hajdu said in an interview aired Sunday. “The intention is to coordinate, yes, because you can imagine the confusion in international travel if different certificates are required.”
Health Canada says science shows that approved Covid-19 vaccines are very effective in preventing disease. However, it is still unknown whether those who get their shots can still spread the virus. or how long the vaccinations will last.
“The Government of Canada is aware that some jurisdictions are considering granting vaccinated privileges through a certification process,” Health Canada spokeswoman Maryse Durette wrote in an email. “Any similar consideration in the Canadian context should be based on reliable scientific evidence.”
Canada’s position is similar to that of the World Health Organization, which in a January statement discouraged the introduction of vaccination evidence for international travel as a condition of entry, as’ there are still critical unknowns about the effectiveness of vaccination to reduce transmission and limit vaccine availability. ”
Nevertheless, the WHO has made an effort to set international standards through its Working Group “Smart Vaccination Certificate”.
And even if the idea has yet to warm up, the Canadian government has also studied the issue.
Iain Stewart, head of the Canadian Public Health Agency, told a parliamentary committee last month that officials “are very much looking at the idea of some kind of vaccination certification documentation”.
“As people are vaccinated, it will become increasingly necessary,” Stewart said when asked about immunity passports.
2. Who will be left out?
Conversations about passports raise concerns about vaccinations – in local and international contexts.
Some people will refuse to get a Covid-19 vaccine, and others will not get a chance due to a health condition, such as allergies.
Baylis, a professor at Dalhousie University, said the freedom of movement for some people limited it for others. She added that not enough attention is being paid to those who could be harmed by vaccinations.
Internationally, she said, certification is being proposed at a time when the vast majority of people in the world do not have access to a vaccine.
“So, you’re going to release the rights of the people now?” Baylis said. ‘We are almost 8 billion people. We know we can produce and roll out the vaccine we have been looking at for several years. ”
Perrin Beatty, head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, supports the idea of a vaccine passport as a tool to speed up the economy.
But he said a public discussion is needed to ensure that the ultimate approach is designed so that people who cannot take the vaccine are deprived of the right they would otherwise have.
Beatty said he was concerned that there was little public debate about them in Canada.
“Other countries are moving forward and we would be foolish to just sit on the sidelines and wait for other standards to develop,” he said. ‘This is an issue we will have to work through. You do not want a situation in which someone, for medical reasons, cannot be vaccinated, deprived of the right they would otherwise have. ”
3. How do we deal with privacy issues … and care about people?
Fear of privacy around vaccine passports is directed at the risk of unauthorized access by third parties to an individual health data.
Ann Cavoukian, the former Ontario privacy commissioner, said in an interview that once health information gets into the hands of third parties, you never know where it will end up.
“Every time you have a crisis, a terrorist incident, a pandemic, anything, privacy measures are set aside,” said Cavoukian, who does not like the idea of digital health. “But once the crisis often ends, this invasion of privacy continues.”
Cavoukian helps the Good Health Pass Collaborative, which creates a blueprint for digital Covid belief systems. She said the collaboration, which includes governments and experts from the travel, health and technology sectors, will ensure that personal health information will remain under the individual’s control.
“We must preserve our privacy, it forms the basis of our freedom and it is essential that we preserve it now and in the future,” she said. “The direction these things are going is challenging.”
The Federal Watchdog of Canada has yet to be consulted on issues related to a vaccine passport. Vito Pilieci, a spokesman for Commissioner Daniel Therrien, said the office wanted to see evidence that Covid-19 vaccines not only protect the person being vaccinated, but also other individuals with whom they come in contact.
“This is the key to assessing the need for a vaccine passport, or in the broader evidence of vaccination as a condition of service or service,” he said.
4. How would it work across the jurisdictions – here at home, around the world?
An internationally accepted proof of vaccination certificate can be inevitable because the world wants to reopen the country-to-country journey.
And people who postpone holidays and family gatherings may be willing to do whatever it takes to go abroad.
But in Canada, it is probably the domestic form of a vaccine passport that is of most concern.
Those who are not vaccinated for medical or other reasons may one day be restricted to restaurants, sporting events or concerts, while their vaccinated counterparts are given a gateway.
The further approach of Canada is the fact that its ten provinces are responsible for the administration of health care services, the delivery of the vaccination of Covid-19 and, most likely, any plans for the vaccination of vaccine.
For this reason, Trudeau may not have much say in how the country moves forward.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott warned in December that people who are not vaccinated could be restricted to certain activities, including traveling and going to theaters.
A Ontario Department of Health spokesman, who was asked in March for an update on possible restrictions, declined to comment further.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is not a mandate for Ontarians, but we strongly recommend that people seize the opportunity,” Lindsay Davidson wrote in an email.
Christian Dubé, Minister of Health in Quebec, said last week that his province is planning a vaccine passport because companies first want to open their doors to those who have been vaccinated.
5. What are the other options?
Airlines, also through the International Air Transport Association, have tested digital certification. Later this month, the European Commission will submit a proposal on a digital “green pass” for travel.
Beatty said that some form of vaccination certification at the international level is very likely – and he predicts that people will also want some credentials in Canada.
“I see it as a tool in the interior that will enable us to open up faster and get people back to a more normal life earlier,” he said.
Beatty proposes to create a solution to the optional program for trusted travelers, known as NEXUS, which speeds up the process for Canadians and Americans crossing the shared border. To qualify for a NEXUS card, people must be prepared to provide iris scans and fingerprints.
Beatty said it would give people confidence if they were in a crowd that the people around them had been vaccinated.
The border crossings between Canada and America, which have been closed for almost a year for non-essential travel, could possibly be an early adopter for vaccination.
Last month, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said vaccination was still not good enough to enter Canada. “Right now, the answer to that question is no,” Blair told a news conference when asked.
He added that people who want to cross the country still have to set up a negative Covid test within 72 hours.
“We, of course, rely entirely on the evidence and advice of the Canadian Public Health Agency,” he said. “Unfortunately, there is insufficient data to support the provision to rely only on a previous vaccination.”