No10 today stopped short of completely ruling out ‘immunity passports’ despite insisting it is ‘not something the PM wants’.
Downing Street played down the idea of giving people who have had vaccines more freedoms, saying it would not be fair while the jabs were still being distributed according to priorities.
But the PM’s press secretary Allegra Stratton did not totally close off the possibility that such documentation could be used after the full rollout, merely stressing that it was not Boris Johnson’s preferred approach.
The dodging came as it emerged that people in Wales are to receive an ID-style card to show they have been vaccinated for coronavirus.
Health minister Vaughan Gething revealed the move as he hailed news that that Pfizer jabs have been approved by UK regulators.
The cards will include the date of immunisation, with the Labour-run Welsh government insisting it will serve as a ‘reminder’ about when individuals need the second dose.
However, they sparked an immediate backlash with fears of an ‘authoritarian’ crackdown as pubs, shops and other public venues demand to see the proof before people are given access.
No10 today stopped short of completely ruling out ‘immunity passports’ despite insisting it is ‘not something the PM wants’. Boris Johnson is pictured in Downing Street today 
Health minister Vaughan Gething revealed the move as he hailed news that that Pfizer jabs have been approved by UK regulators
UK government ministers have tried to cool the idea they are preparing official ‘immunity passports’ that would allow people to return to normal life once they have received a jab.
But vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi suggested earlier this week that although the jabs will be voluntary, businesses could ask to see proof before allowing people in.
Ms Stratton told journalists at a briefing this afternoon that there were no immediate plans to introduce ‘immunity passports’.
She pointed to the way the vaccines were being spread through the population, with the elderly and most vulnerable getting it first.
‘If we’re saying to people there is a priority list… we can’t then be denying people freedoms or liberties,’ she said.
Pressed repeatedly on whether the policy could ever be introduced, she added: ‘Immunity passports is not something the PM wants to go ahead with.’
UK regulators today approved Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine, paving the way for mass vaccination to start in just days.
Officials said the jab — which the UK has ordered 40million doses of — will be made available ‘from next week’ as Health Secretary Matt Hancock declared ‘help is on its way’.
Department of Health and Social Care officials made the announcement just after 7am this morning, as England left its second national lockdown and shops reopened for ‘wild Wednesday’.
Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine has been shown to block 95 per cent of coronavirus infections in late-stage trials, with equal efficacy among younger volunteers and those over 65 who are most at risk from Covid.
Mr Hancock declared the end of the pandemic was ‘in sight’ today, revealing that 800,000 doses of the jab will be available next week — enough to vaccinate 400,000 people because it is administered in two shots — but conceded the bulk of the roll out won’t happen until the New Year.