India Opposes 'Vaccine Passport' Ahead of G7 Summit, Health Minister Calls It 'Discriminatory'

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has expressed India’s concern over the issue of “vaccine passport" proposed by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the G7 Summit.

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan

Covid in India:  A lot has changed after the pandemic whit the world, from working in offices to setting up workstations at home, shopping from a grocery store to getting everything delivered at your doorstep and cancelling every plan to travel abroad has become a part of our lives. Though people are waiting to begin travelling again and 'vaccine passport' implementation was being considered as the most effective way to monitor the Covid spread in the world, India has opposed the idea and the points listed by the Health minister are necessary to ponder upon.

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Friday (June 4, 2021) expressed India’s concern over the idea of 'vaccine passport' at a G7 plus ministerial session.

Health Minister conveyed India’s strong opposition to the idea and said that it is still immature to implement such a move, stating that the COVID-19 vaccine coverage of developing countries is less than the developed countries.

"At this stage of the pandemic, it is pertinent to also discuss India's concern over the idea of a vaccine passport. Considering the fact of the lower levels of vaccination of the population in developing countries in contrast to the developed countries and given the still-unaddressed issues related to equitable and affordable access, supply and distribution of safe and effective vaccines, India would propose that the implementation of a vaccine passport will be hugely discriminatory and disadvantageous to the developing countries," the health minister said.

Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had indicated that he would like to push the G7 to look at the possibility of agreeing on the issue of “vaccine passport". The proposal, ostensibly, was to ease international travel and would involve recording immunity, vaccination or test in the “vaccine passport", however, there have been concerns over whether countries may rely heavily on vaccination records alone that could create hurdles for citizens whose countries are unable to increase the pace of vaccination due to manufacturing limitations.

"India would suggest that the same should be implemented duly taking into consideration emerging evidence of the efficacy of vaccines and under the over-arching coordination by WHO duly attending to the anomaly of access and affordability as it exists today," the health minister added.

Dr Harsh Vardhan took it to his Twitter account to express his gratitude for getting an opportunity to address the health ministers meeting via video conference at this year’s G7 Summit. 

India, South Korea and Australia have been invited to the G7 Summit this year that will be hosted by the UK in Cornwall from June 11-13. Due to the devastating second wave of COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be participating virtually.