London: The minister in charge of the world’s most successful coronavirus vaccination rollout says countries such as Australia should consider copying Israel’s new “green pass” regime, which bans people from entering a swathe of indoor venues if they have turned down the jab.
An unapologetic Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said there was growing international interest in Israel’s carrot-and-stick approach because it would help control transmission, revive the economy and act as a powerful incentive for young and hesitant groups.
“The public is very fond of it. There are some voices opposed but you really have to look at the alternatives,” Edelstein told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
“If the options are to keep society and the economy closed, or open up to people who have got the vaccine, I think the answer is quite obvious.”
The pass, which launched last week, is available to anyone who has recovered from COVID-19 or recently given a second vaccine dose. The document is displayed on an app linked to patient medical files and presented upon entry to cinemas, hotels, places of worship, gyms, swimming pools and major events. Restaurants and bars will be included when they are released from lockdown in March.
Edelstein said the risk of being “left behind” was a more effective way to address vaccine hesitancy than financial incentives such as payments or workplace bonuses – an idea the minister said he “declined on the spot”.
Read the article by Bevan Shields in The Sydney Morning Herald.