Vaccine Minister Nadhim Zahawi confirmed that the government will pursue vaccine passports as a condition of entry to nightclubs and is exploring an annual booster strategy against the Chinese coronavirus.
Addressing the House of Commons on Thursday, Mr Zahawi said that the government will be pursuing the co-administration of seasonal flu and coronavirus vaccines, stating: “The operational plan is to go early — in early September — for both the Covid boost and the flu campaign. However, he will know that flu is not in the Covid category in that it is endemic. We are hoping to transition Covid towards where flu is with an annual vaccination programme, but it is a very different virus to deal with.”
Government ministers had said early on in the deployment of vaccines that Britons would be expected to be annually vaccinated, including former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who said it was “highly likely” there would be a dual vaccination programme for both influenza and Covid-19. British scientists advising the government also said in February that annual vaccines might be needed to deal with new variants, with the government then already stockpiling vaccine supplies in preparation for 2022.
Mr Zahawi also doubled down on the government message that there will be vaccine passports for venues like nightclubs come September, and only proof of vaccination — not of natural immunity or a negative test result — would be accepted.- READ MORE
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