WHO panel advises against COVID-19 vaccination proof for travel

The World Health Organization’s Emergency Committee on Thursday maintained its stance that proof of COVID-19 vaccination should not be required for international travel, amid a growing debate on blocking the entry of travelers if they are unvaccinated.

The independent experts said that vaccinations should not be the only condition to permit international travel, given limited global access and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

The experts had previously said that requiring proof of vaccination deepens inequities and promotes unequal freedom of movement.

Poorer countries with less access to vaccinations could face exclusion if such measures are put into place, some health experts have said.

The European Union earlier this month launched its digital COVID certificate system designed to help citizens travel more freely across the 27-nation bloc and open up summer tourism.