Over 60 per cent of Brits support vaccine passports
Three in five British adults (61 per cent) back the introduction of vaccine passports according to AllClear Travel Insurance
With 45 per cent of people saying they want an overseas holiday this year, vaccine passports are seen as a vehicle to make travel safe again - as well as encouraging more people to take part in the Covid-19 vaccination programme. At a time when there has been much debate over the impact of vaccine passports on civil liberties - the research found that a third (54 per cent) of people that supported the vaccine passport said that it would be good motivation for people to get vaccinated in the first place.
In addition, 44 per cent of those that backed the vaccine said it would make overseas travel safer - and a further 44 per cent cited the benefits of not having to isolate or quarantine when returning from a holiday abroad. Further, 41 per cent people that supported the vaccine passport concept said it would help ensure holiday makers would be unlikely to suffer from severe Covid-19 disease that might require hospitalisation abroad.
Main concern exclusion of people unable to be vaccinated
Whilst 61 per cent of people backed the vaccine passport, 30 per cent were against it and nine per cent were undecided. For those opposed to the vaccine passport, the main concern related to the exclusion of people who chose not to have or were unable to have the vaccine (47 per cent). In addition, 40 per cent of respondents said vaccine passports were a bad idea because there is no evidence that vaccines reduce transmission or will protect against new variants of Covid-19. Only 27 per cent of respondents were concerned about the potential impact on data privacy.
Across all age groups, the majority of respondents were in favour of the vaccine passport, but support peaked among older people – 62 per cent for 55- to 64-year-olds, and 72 per cent with the over 65s. Interestingly, the reasons for supporting vaccine passports varied by age group. For example, the under 25s were most likely to believe vaccine passports would keep travellers safe from the effects of Covid-19 abroad and would prevent people having to be hospitalised whilst overseas (20 per cent). In contrast, the over 65s were most likely to say vaccine passports would motivate more people to take the vaccination in the first place.
Unlocking travel is priority for many people
Chris Rolland, CEO of AllClear Insurance, commented: “As restrictions begin to lift and with the confidence of the Prime Minister’s promise that each stage of progress is ‘irreversible’ - unlocking travel is a priority for many people. With reports that more than 90 per cent of over 50s have been vaccinated already – and with this age group leading support for the vaccine passport concept – it makes sense to focus on what can be done to make overseas travel safe again.”
In a separate global study, while the majority of respondents were comfortable with the idea of using a digital vaccine passport, the responsible use and security of their personal health data was one of their top concerns.