Covid: Turning down Covid vaccine is selfish, says Michael Gove
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media captionGove: People should be “confident” those attending large-scale events are “less likely to be carriers of the virus”
People who turn down Covid vaccination are “selfish” and put others’ lives at risk, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has said.
He warned that those declining a jab could see themselves barred from events requiring “a certain level of safety”.
The government has already said it plans mandatory vaccination for nightclubs in England from September.
Ministers are also considering requiring proof of vaccination from fans attending sports venues.
As of Monday, 88.1% of adults in the UK have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 70.5% have been fully vaccinated.
Studies have linked vaccination to a reduced likelihood of infection and transmission, although the double-jabbed can still catch and transmit Covid.
Speaking during a visit to Glasgow, Mr Gove said: “Ultimately, if you can be vaccinated and you refuse to, that is a selfish act.
“You’re putting other people’s health and lives at risk, you should get vaccinated.”
He said he thought “some form of certification” was “the right way to go” to try to curtail Covid spread at “certain venues and certain events”.
The government plans to make full vaccination for those not covered by an exemption a condition of entry for nightclubs in England from September.
Unlike Covid pass schemes introduced in countries such as Denmark and France, clubbers will not be able to gain entry by showing a negative test result.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the government is considering enforcing the same rule at other venues “where large crowds gather” – but has not specified any so far.
Policy on vaccination certification in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be set by their devolved governments.
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Also speaking on Tuesday, Scottish First Minister said people should consider it a “collective civic duty” to be vaccinated.
She said she would encourage those who are “genuinely worried” about vaccination to “take a bit of time to find out the facts”.
“I’m not going to criticise people who have genuine concerns, but I will not stop trying to encourage you to educate yourself about the vaccine and come forward and get vaccinated,” she added.
However, she added that she considered “deliberately spreading” vaccine misinformation was “anti-social behaviour”.
Vaccinations will be compulsory for staff at care homes in England, and may be extended to include more NHS staff.
Some private companies including the publisher Bloomsbury, Pimlico Plumbers, and the airline Cathay Pacific, have already said they will require staff to be vaccinated.
Testing at events
Some Conservative MPs have criticised Covid certification on civil liberties grounds, and threatened to boycott their party conference in the autumn if proof of vaccination is required of attendees.
Nightclub industry bodies have also reacted angrily to the government’s proposals, warning it will be difficult to enforce and put them at a disadvantage to other nightspots.
Speaking on Monday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he supported the idea of using vaccine passports “plus testing” for mass events.
“Passports on their own aren’t enough, because as we know sadly, you can be double-jabbed and still get the new [Covid] variant,” he told LBC.
“The idea we can go back to mass sporting events or other events without any checks is not one I subscribe to,” he said.
But he added: “I don’t want to see passports used on an everyday basis for access to critical things – like health, dentistry, food, etc.”