Vaccine passports are a form of discrimination - Readers' Letters

I find it absolutely disgusting that so many alleged “experts”, including some participants to this page, are more than happy to support discrimination against unvaccinated people by advocating these so-called “vaccine passports”, particularly as there is zero evidence they make anyone safer.
Will signs such as these be springing up in more hospitality venues?Will signs such as these be springing up in more hospitality venues?
Will signs such as these be springing up in more hospitality venues?

We are heading to a situation where we will have to show them to get into pubs, clubs and even cinemas which means the unvaccinated will be excluded from so many aspects of daily life.

As a fully vaccinated person myself, I have zero interest in the vaccination status of anyone else

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If being fully vaccinated meant you couldn’t get Covid, or pass it on if you did have it, then the argument for vaccine passports might be stronger. The problem is this is not the case. It’s possible you could have 100 vaccinated people in a club, all with their passports, and half of them are carrying the virus without showing any symptoms so what is the point in having them exactly?

Read More
Covid Scotland: Hospitality businesses accused of 'crying wolf' over vaccine pas...

This is supposed to be a free country so we shouldn’t be trying to force people to have any medical procedures or excluding them if they refuse to have them, it’s just wrong. It should always be up to the individual to decide. If that changes we are in big trouble.

David Smith. Prestonpans

What about diners with ‘dumb’ phones?

John Swinney has said that he does not believe people will turn their backs on the hospitality industry during the festive period.

I know two families who won’t be going out for a pre-Christmas meal if Covid passports are introduced. Some members of those families don’t have “smart” phones and have no intention of getting one, never mind learning how to use one, as their existing “dumb” phone satisfies their needs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As for dropping into the local cafe for a coffee with a Covid passport; forget it, I just won’t bother.

James Christie, Edinburgh

Museum’s reasoning is far from scientific

I have a lot of sympathy with those businesses that are questioning the worth of vaccine passports given that folk who have had two vaccines can still get and pass on Covid. Unless folk can understand the reasoning for a restriction, they will not only be unlikely to comply with it but will extend their reluctance to other, more valid, restrictions.

My own personal argument is with the Museum for Scotland which has closed those push-button galleries that are particularly appealing to children. The closure notices say that because the exhibits are touched a lot, the Museum has decided to close them My question is “why? What is the scientific justification?”

When Covid first arrived, there was a lot of uncertainty about how it was transmitted from person to person. However, it has now been established that the virus is airborne and cannot be picked up by someone touching an inanimate object which someone else has touched. This means that masks, good ventilation and distancing are important but that washing everything down with buckets of disinfectant is not.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I wrote to the museum asking for the science behind their decision to close those galleries where the exhibits are touched a lot.

Now, the museum, according to its email address, is an academic institution so I expected a proper academic answer. Instead, all I got was that it is following government guidelines. How pathetic is that!

Judith Gillespie, Edinburgh

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription. Write to us at [email protected]

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.