Qantas, Australia’s national airline, said it will demand that all international travelers provide proof they have received a coronavirus vaccine before flying, according to reports.
Alan Joyce, the CEO, told Nine News last week that the move will go into effect after the vaccine is widely available.
“Whether you need that domestically, we will have to see what happens with COVID-19 in the market,” he said, according to CNN. “But certainly for international visitors coming out and people leaving the country, we think that’s a necessity.”
The Wall Street Journal reported United Airlines started to position some of Pfizer’s vaccine across the U.S., which is seen as the beginning of the massive undertaking to distribute the vaccine once it gets approval. Once the FDA approves the vaccine, there will be dozens of cargo flights around the world.
Airlines are beginning to roll out digital health passes for passengers that essentially assures carriers the passengers have been tested and are coronavirus free. The Financial Times reported that the CommonPass, which is backed by the World Economic Forum, will begin in December. Passengers will use an app for mobile phones. Paul Meyer, the head of the project, told the paper that the pass could eventually be used on cruise lines and hotel chains.
Tal Zaks, Moderna’s chief medical officer, told Axios there is a risk the public will over-interpret vaccine trial results and assume their lives will immediately go back to normal once the vaccines are released. He said the trial results show the vaccine could prove effective in preventing severe sickness, but it is not yet proven the vaccine prevents infection.
“When we start the development of this vaccine we will not have sufficient concrete data to prove that this vaccine reduces transmission,” he said.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: I question the wisdom of forcing the population to take an unproven vaccine when the disease is believed to be highly survivable. Many healthy people will be taking the vaccine, which has many unknowns about long-term side effects.
Moreover, I question why anyone who has been vaccinated would want to force others to be vaccinated, since they are being told the vaccine will prevent them from getting the virus?
And the same with mask wearing. If a person believes that wearing a mask will protect them from contracting the virus, why would they care if someone does not wear one, since it would pose no threat to the mask wearer of getting the virus.
