In recent weeks, countries across Europe began their Covid-19 vaccine rollouts.
But with more people receiving the jabs, voices are growing louder that lockdown and movement restrictions should be waived for them, on the assumption that they are now immune.
While countries agree that, generally, vaccines given in one country should be recognised in another, many differences remain with respect to what rights this could carry, and if so, when those privileges should kick in.
The 27 EU leaders are set to discuss the matter on Thursday during a virtual meeting.
Here’s a rundown of the key points.
1. When should the certificate be introduced?
In principle, EU leaders had already in December agreed on the need to come up with a common certificate to mutually recognise vaccinations.
For Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, progress had been too slow: he pleaded for such a certificate to be introduced as soon as possible.
But other officials and EU governments are more sceptical; European Council President Charles Michel on Sunday said it would lead to “gigantic frustration” if it were to be introduced too soon, as more people would have to receive the jab before it could be useful.
But especially tourism-reliant countries, for example Spain and ski-destination Austria, support the idea of introducing a vaccination passport to help the ailing industry.
2. What would a vaccine certificate be used for?
This is the crux of the issue — once such a certificate, or passport, is introduced, what benefits would come with it?
Several benefits could be linked to having received the jab, such as being able to travel within the European Union without any restrictions. There would be no need for going into quarantine, nor to show a negative PCR test, as required by some member states. Greek Tourism Minister Charis Theocharis, for example, said vaccinated people should be allowed to travel freely.
It could also come with other perks, such as being able to go to the cinema, restaurants, or pubs.
3. That sounds good, so why are some people sceptical?
First off, it is not scientifically proven whether a Covid-19 vaccine prevents someone from being infectious, or merely the disease from breaking out. This means that someone vaccinated could potentially still pass on the virus without showing any symptoms.
Second, several legal and ethical issues are at stake. Not everyone who wants the jab has access to vaccines at the moment, so granting rights to people who have received them could be interpreted as discriminating against others.
The European Commission has urged EU countries to vaccinate 70 per cent of adults by summer — which would leave out a sizeable part of the population.
Others have criticised that making being vaccinated a precondition for accessing certain rights would effectively amount to making vaccinations mandatory — a move many citizens are opposed to.
4. How would this look in practice?
Then there is the question of practicalities: the pharmaceutical companies have indicated differing lengths of protection for their products, and some countries don’t offer a choice of which vaccine to receive. Would a person who received a vaccine with longer protection end up being able to travel and enjoy normal life longer than other citizens?
The leaders will also have to figure out how such a vaccine passport would look, and what information should be shared on it. For example, some countries might require the time of vaccination to be indicated, while others might not. There also remains the question on whether such a document should be issued digitally or on paper, and if the former, how to ensure data protection. — dpa
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