Virgin CEO expects ‘vaccination passports’ for domestic travel

November is already too late for Far North Queensland. The time to be up in Far North Queensland is till about early October. Then it's heading into the wet summer season.

Plus cyclone season Dec-April 

Still traumatised by seeing price tag of $25/kg banana in the supermarket 15 years ago 

I feel sorry for people who have a legitimate medical reason why they can't be vaccinated, but for most people who can be vaccinated and should be vaccinated, if they choose not to, then to me they sort of are 'second class citizens' because they are holding back the rest of their community and endangering the very society which they're a part of.

But if you are going to be eating in that restaurant or sitting in that cinema for example then it is the business of the owners of that business to ensure you are vaccinated so as to help protect their staff and their other customers. When Sydney gets out of lockdown I will not be visiting any cafe or restaurant or wine bar for example that doesn't make vaccination a condition of entry because I want to minimise the risk to myself, in the same way that I use common sense when crossing road, driving or whatever.

"It should be my right to drink under the influence! It's not anyone's business if I'm drunk behind the wheel!"

We have seen it before. Like if you travel to anywhere where yellow fever is endemic, you need a vaccination passport to get back in! It’s not a new concept.

@stargazer

So far certain state governments has been successful in sending people back those who have not fulfilled their border pass requirement or declaration so I don’t know why you think show be your vaccination papers will not make that grade.

There is a requirement for people to drive with valid driver license. You are bound by agreement upon entering a private business premises that you agree to be subject to search of your baggage upon request (most business have some sort of signs saying that although nowadays that signs are small and stuck on some hard to find corners). There is no absolute freedom to go anywhere in Australia. That sovereign customer trying to enter a Bunnings store have no legal right to claim discrimination if she does not fulfill entry conditions set by the business. Any private business can decline to serve anyone who appears to be intoxicated or high on drugs if that rule is applied universally. 

Why not a license/permit to enter a premises or even a state?

Because those who aren't vaccinated create a significant burden on the hospital system which impacts patients who need to be treated for other medical reasons. Those who aren't vaccinated are more likely to catch and spread the disease. Those who aren't vaccinated undermine herd immunity and endanger the immunocompromised.

"Lockdowns" for those who elect to not vaccinated are not a new precedent, they've been around for decades. My work requires certain vaccinations to be in the workplace, schools require certain vaccinations for students to be enrolled, many countries also have vaccine requirements. In saying that, I don't think the "vaccination passport" will be around for more than a few months.

Because some people can't get vaccinated because of actual medical reasons, too young or their immune system won't build antibodies from the vaccine. So those are the people we are protecting through measures like this.

If people don't want to get vaccinated to help the greater community, why should the greater community accept them if they are not prepared to help look after the vulnerable parts of society?

That's an easy one to respond to GoRobin.  Obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes etc, do not impact on the health of others nearby.

It is now well-known that Smoking and Covid19 are highly likely to affect the health of others who are nearby, with only a reduced likelihood of transmission of Covid if you are vaccinated.  That is the reason why many people would prefer to keep a healthy distance from those who are unvaccinated.

People like you are the reason systems like this are in place. 

I hope you're happy to accept the likely consequences you will face if when you arrive at Frankfurt airport, or anywhere else in the world, they establish your vaccination card is a fake.  I doubt your $20 is going to mean much then.   Also hope you're happy to accept the full cost of possible hospitalization overseas if you do being ill, as no insurance company will pay out, assuming you have insurance, if they find out you claimed to be vaccinated but weren't.  

What an incredibly selfish and self-centred person you are.

Siri - define obnoxious entitled boomer fo me.

@GoRobin

It’s OK to think differently from other people in Australia.

What some people have a problem (myself included) is when the rules or laws are clearly stated (regardless of whether one agrees with it or not) that, other people think it somehow doesn’t apply to them and when someone transgress that rule, they argue why the consequences should not apply.

You appear well travelled and I would presume that you are respectful of the local cultures and laws regardless of whether you agree with them or not. Not sure how it can be different when a public health order in Australia can suddenly be regarded as a different situation. 

To be clear I do not agree with some of the border or lockdown measures with many of the states but remember these are by politicians elected by the local voters, so I respect their right to do so.

For someone who claims to be a biochemist, I find it a bit odd you don't know the correct terminology is vaccinated, not medicated. They're not the same.  

Unfortunately, those yellow travel books are no longer likely to be acceptable, it's too easy for covidiots and antivaxxers to forge the entries, placing themselves and others at risk.  They were fine back in the 1960's were the vast majority of people travelling internationally were honest, and would not dream of forging the entries, sadly we now live in a society where far too many consider being honest at all times is not for them, that's for others. The books also needed to be checked manually at immigration, which was easier then as only a fraction of the number of people were travelling internationally as compared to now. 

As noted in IMissTravel's post, the old days have gone. While I agree with the sentiments expressed in that post, these days we need a high tech electronic system that is, (preferably,)  impossible to forge so society can be kept safe, and the hundreds of people disgorged off an international flight can be processed in a timely manner.  

I don't like it anymore than anyone else that society has become like this, but that's life in 2021, and we have to live with it.   

You can probably try to use them, but because of how easy they are to forge and just how big the anti vaxx crowd are this time around, I doubt they will be seen as super legitimate. The nurse who administered my second dose of vaccine did fill out my vaccination booklet on request but I don’t expect it to be used by most countries. I just want it as a fallback if I can’t access mygov or misplace my little card or my phone for whatever reason.