The European Commission plans to create a digital pass to ensure that travelers are vaccinated or have a negative test. In Colombia it will not be considered to implement until there is equitable access to the vaccine.
Earlier this month Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, released a trill that could give them a spin, once again, on the conditions that exist for traveling to other countries. During the month of March, he wrote, the Commission would work on the proposal to create a “Digital Green Pass” which, in simple words, is nothing more than a digital passport that seeks to guarantee two things: that travelers who have already been vaccinated have a document to prove it and that those who have not been vaccinated make it official that they are traveling with a negative COVID-19 test. (Read These are the new measures to prevent contagion for Easter)
The proposal did not take long to consolidate. Last Wednesday, 17 March, the “European Vaccination Passport”, as it has also been called, was approved by the Commission itself, so that only the governments of Europe and the European Parliament need to give it the green light. . The logic behind the initiative is simple: to ensure that, for the European summer, which occurs in the middle of the year, tourists from this continent can travel more peacefully to other countries and not lose millions. of euros produced by this economic sector during a key season -only in Spain tourism can contribute up to 14% of GDP-. “We want to help Member States return to freedom of movement reliably,” Von der Leyen told a news conference. https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/salud/duque-anuncia-nuevas-medidas-para-evitar-contagios-en-semana-santa/
The idea, however, has not gone down well with the world. If the coronavirus has accentuated anything it is the gap between those who have more money and those who have less, so several experts think that having a “COVID-19 passport” will lead to increasing inequality. Dr. Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University in London, for example, told CNBC that with the current scenario, what this document would do is “further discriminate against vulnerable populations.” if you think of a future world where this passport is an international requirement, the southern territories would lead to losing, as it is worth remembering that to this day the countries of Africa and Latin America, with the exception of Chile, are the most remaining in the vaccination scheme against COVID-19. In Colombia, for example, as of March 23 this year, just 1,238,259 doses have been applied.
For others, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), concern about the “coronavirus passport” is that there are still many unknowns about COVID-19 vaccination. . In January this year the WHO warned that at least we are not yet in a position to implement such documents, as “there are still critical unknowns regarding the efficiency of vaccination to reduce transmission and limited availability of vaccines “.
Despite this, several governments are already talking about the issue. Greece and Spain, on their own, have considered opening air corridors for people from the United Kingdom and Israel who want to visit them, as long as they are vaccinated. For its part, the United States, according to The New York Times, has several states, airlines and technology companies that are pushing the Biden administration to create a federal standard for vaccine passports. , in the words of Julián Fernández, director of Epidemiology and Demography of the Ministry of Health, the measure would only be taken into account as long as it meets three conditions: the first is that there is equitable access to vaccines, otherwise they would be generated inequalities and mobility restrictions for low-income people; the second is that agreements are made between countries within the framework of the International Health Regulations, and the third is the international standardization of vaccination cards.
“It is likely that this measure will be considered at some point, but an international or regional agreement must be made for its implementation. In addition, it is likely that more countries will do so unilaterally, but Colombia must consider it. in a framework of international cooperation, articulated and considering the progress in the National Vaccination Plan in the country and in the world “, he suggests.
Packing a vaccination card against COVID-19 may be a reality we have to live with in the future, and it would not be the first time this has happened. Currently, one of the best known travel documents is the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, created by the WHO itself to prevent further spread of diseases such as cholera, plague and typhoid. But the light for the COVID-19 passport could be far away.
In an editorial published by the magazine Science , Signed by Professors Christopher Dye and Melinda Mills, both of Oxford University, concludes as follows: “The choice on how passports are used should be based on exemplary science, appropriate technologies and fair use. for all “.