WHO warns vaccinated holidaymakers could still spread COVID

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London: Overseas holidays face a new threat as the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that travellers’ COVID vaccinations should not be used to decide whether people can enter a country.

The WHO said there were still “critical unknowns” about the efficacy of vaccinations in reducing COVID transmission and preventing the disease even as governments are working on vaccine certificates as a way to kick-start travel. It said that, as a result, national authorities, airlines and travel operators “should not introduce requirements of proof of COVID-19 vaccination for international travel as a condition for departure or entry”.

The beach in Mykonos – Greece and Israel have already agreed to allow vaccinated travelers to move between the two countries. Credit:Shutterstock

The organisation said vaccination should not exempt travellers from having to undergo other “travel risk-reduction measures” such as COVID testing or quarantine.

Vaccination documents are seen as critical to enable holidaymakers to travel abroad during the European summer. In his road map out of lockdown on Monday (Tuesday AEDT), Boris Johnson signalled that international travel could restart as early as May 17.

He will make a decision after a Department of Transport safety investigation, which is due to report on April 12.

The WHO will, however, only review its position on use of vaccination proof for entry or departure in three months’ time. Its concerns centre on the efficacy of vaccines in preventing disease and limiting transmission including COVID variants, the length of protection the vaccines offer, whether they guard against asymptomatic infection and exactly how long before travel vaccines should be offered.

It is also concerned about the potential discrimination against those who might not have, or do not have access to, vaccinations. Industry sources said governments, airlines and travel operators were free to ignore the WHO, but it could hinder the use of passports as an alternative to expensive tests or other restrictions.

Greece and Israel have already agreed to recognise COVID vaccination certificates for travel between the two countries while the UK and most EU governments are considering or developing similar digital documents.

The WHO has commissioned experts to help devise international standards for the digital certificates, which would be similar to yellow fever cards, despite its concern about their application but in anticipation that they will be a feature of travel.

Trade organisations, such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), are concerned that delays by governments and other agencies in developing vaccination documents threaten attempts to restart travel in time for the northern hemisphere summer.

EU leaders are expected to maintain the current ban on non-essential travel, but senior Commission officials say “there is a will” to have summer holidays. Spain and Greece are pushing ahead with vaccine certificates and have already established protocols for their use in population destinations such as the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. They want to go with an EU-wide vaccine certificate scheme, but that is dependent on the EU hitting their vaccine targets of inoculating 70 per cent of countries’ populations by August.

Priti Patel, the UK Home Secretary, warned yesterday that it was “far too early” for people to book a holiday abroad, and suggested they should wait for the Government’s global travel task force to report on April 12.

Asked what advice she would give to people thinking about taking an overseas holidays and whether they should book or wait, Ms Patel said: “Well, it’s too early. It’s far too early. We have to look at the data at every single stage, and the road map outlined by the Prime Minister makes that abundantly clear.”

Earlier this month, Australia’s Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said it was “highly likely that a vaccination certificate or quarantine will still be required for international visitors to Australia”.

The London Telegraph

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