by: françoise baylis and natalie kofler
in late april, european union member states agreed on the technical specifications for their proposed digital green certificate. this certificate, often colloquially described as a vaccine passport, aims to restore free and safe movement within the european union.
within days of this news, the president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, suggested in a new york times interview that european union borders could also be open to vaccinated american tourists this summer. canadian reporters swiftly turned to prime minister justin trudeau to ask about the use of vaccination certificates for international travel.
in response, trudeau said that vaccination certificates are to be expected as part of the response to the pandemic. at the same time he said “we’re not yet at this point.” he assured canadians that the government will consult widely “to ensure what we are doing is grounded in science and will keep people safe.”
we agree that government policy should be scientifically rigorous and evidence-informed. it should also be ethically sound.
at this time, the only canadian government publication on vaccination certificates is one recently authored by the office of the chief science adviser. the report, “
scientific considerations for using covid-19 vaccination certificates
” makes clear that the ability of any covid-19 vaccination credentialling program to protect public health is dependent upon vaccines that can effectively prevent transmission of the virus and its variants.