Vaccine pass could open door to travel

AUSTRALIANS who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will receive a certificate, paving the way for governments and businesses to enforce tough rules on those who are not inoculated.

The certificate will be available securely through the Medicare app – and eventually added to digital wallets on mobile devices – as the federal government pushes ahead with the plan to help incentivise Australians to get the jab.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants fully-vaccinated Australians to be able to bypass state travel restrictions, although the national cabinet is yet to agree, while businesses could seek to use the certificate to withhold services from those who refuse the vaccine.

The Herald Sun understands some federal Liberal MPs are concerned about any government push for Australians to require a vaccine certificate to travel freely.

Opposition government services spokesman Bill Shorten said: “Australians deserve to know when there will be a vaccine certificate system and exactly what they will be used for.”

The certificate will feature a holographic Australian coat of arms, animated green tick and real-time digital clock, along with a unique document number and the personal details of the vaccine recipient, making it impossible to fraudulently reproduce.

Government Services Minister Linda Reynolds said the new record made it “easy” for people to show their Covid-19 vaccination status.

“The Covid-19 digital certificate makes proof of vaccination accessible anytime, anywhere,” she said.

“We’re also giving people control over the level of vaccination history they share, as the certificate only shows your Covid-19 vaccination status.”