Covid vaccine card could mean millions have lives ‘unlocked’, minister James Cleverly says

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove previously insisted that there were no plans for 'vaccination passports’
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Millions of people will have their lives “unlocked” by getting the Covid jab and a card showing they have had it, a minister said today.

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly stressed the vaccination programme, the first to start in the West, would also allow Britain’s economy to be “unlocked”.

Asked about cards which people will be given once they have had the vaccine, he told Sky News: “Ultimately it’s about making sure that there is a wide roll-out and confidence in that roll-out.”

Pressed whether the cards are a “passport” which will allow people to go to places which they would not without one, he added: “It’s about unlocking people’s lives, it’s about unlocking the economy, it’s about making sure we protect lives and protect livelihoods.”

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove previously insisted that there were no plans for “vaccination passports”, though, some companies including at least one airline have said they will offer preferential treatment for individuals who have had the jab.

Meanwhile, health chiefs are urging millions of people to “wait your turn” for the Covid-19 jab amid worries that hospitals and GPs could be overwhelmed by demand for it.

Fifty hospitals including seven in London are due to start administering the vaccine this week which is seen as a game-changer in the battle to defeat the virus.

One of them is Croydon University Hospital where supplies of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine were seeing arriving yesterday.

However, the trust put out an NHS England leaflet, entitled “Why do I have to wait for my COVID-19 vaccine”, which listed the priority groups to receive the jab which include care home residents and workers, the over 80s and frontline health workers then running down the age groups to the over 50s.

Health bosses are concerned that once vaccinations start, there will be a surge in demand from younger people keen to get the freedom which the jab is seen to offer to a more normal life.

But the leafet stressed: “Please wait your turn. If you are not in the groups above, you will have to wait for a Covid-19 vaccination until more supplies are available. When more vaccine becomes available we will be offering it to more groups of the population.”

The seven hospitals in London which will start vaccinating people are Croydon, Kings College Hospital and its sister hospital Princess Royal in Orpington, the Royal Free, Guy’s and St Thomas’, St George’s and University College Hospitals.  

The first delivery of the Pfizer vaccine to the UK is some 800,000 doses, enough to vaccinate just 400,000 people, which is expected to have arrived this week.

Ministers hope for several million more doses by the end of the year from Pfizer’s manufacturing plant in Belgium.

But even if this is delivered, it will only allowed a few million to be vaccinated before Christmas.

The Government has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine but 100 million of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca jab which may get approval soon from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

The Oxford model is also easier to use as it does not have to be stored at minus 70 degrees C, as is the case for Pfizer’s.  

Even once people get the jab, they are still being urged to follow social distancing rules as it is not clear whether they can still transmit the disease.

Mr Cleverly expressed “frustration” at pictures of crowds shopping at the weekend, including in Regent Street.

He stressed there was “light at the end of the tunnel” with the vaccine, but added: We still have to exercise personal responsibility.

“Let’s not rush this. We are nearly there but let’s not rush this.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in