The “Living with COVID-19” campaign is increasingly gaining pace in Korea. Having withstood its fourth wave of infections in July, Korea has introduced new policies in hopes of benefiting from some “breathing space” after months of tight regulations. From November 1 onwards, entry to high-risk venues such as gyms, bars, or karaokes necessitates a vaccine passport — the proof of being vaccinated that serves as a token of protection from the virus. The initial phase of new regulations also extends to lifting operating hour curfews on restaurants and cafes, and increasing the maximum number of spectators and audiences in outdoor sports events and indoor concerts.
South Korean Health Minister Deok-Cheol Kwon claimed that “the return path to everyday life, to which we’re taking the first step today, is a path we’ve never been on.” The continued effort to normalize our lives amidst the pandemic starts with gradually integrating pre-COVID activities into our lives. With more than 75% of Korea’s population and more than 80% over the age of 16 having received both doses of the vaccine as of November 1, more and more people are becoming eligible to enter public leisure facilities. Korea joins a growing number of nations that have already opted for domestic vaccine passports including France and Israel, and those who plan to do so in the near future such as Taiwan. In particular, Taiwan intends to establish vaccine passports coupled with a “traffic light system” to categorize people according to their vaccination status. The vaccinated and unvaccinated would also have to sit in separate areas in restaurants and cafes.
By decreasing the number of unvaccinated people in public facilities, vaccine passports are paramount in minimizing the circulation of the pandemic in the community. It acts as a driving force to push more people towards immunity, bringing us one step away from lockdowns. It is a healthier alternative to blanket restrictions that may guarantee safety but have unwarranted effects on every other aspect of our society, ranging from economy to mental health. Implementing a vaccine passport system is expected to boost work opportunities and provide well-earned breaks. Efforts to address concerns behind these measures, such as patient confidentiality have also been made — so far, Korea’s COOV vaccine passport app has been using blockchain technology to protect user privacy and shield identifiable information.
Some believe that vaccine passports continue to fuel the disparities within our society, such being the main reason behind protests against them in countries such as Canada. While Korea has recovered from a period of vaccine shortages and uncertainty, other countries still strive to tackle such problems; this causes unequal access to vaccination across their population. Others may forgo their second dose due to severe side effects or allergies. Inevitably, countries have to walk a fine line between encouraging and coercing their population to get vaccinated.
Dr. Ki-suck Jung, the former head of Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, previously characterized the move towards vaccine passports as a “punishment against the unvaccinated”, especially for those who forgo it for reasons beyond their control. By the same token, the UK abandoned its plans for a vaccine passport in September due to concerns about discrimination and marginalization. In addressing their decision, UK Health Minister Sajid Javid commented, “I’ve never liked the idea of saying to people, ‘You must show your papers’ to do what is an everyday activity.” In the UK, the general consensus is that other methods of defense such as “high vaccine uptake, testing, new treatments” render vaccine passports unnecessary.
Nevertheless, many support the idea that the overall benefits surpass the downsides. At present, there is concrete evidence that vaccines prevent hospitalization and death, but none that illustrates that the disparities caused by vaccine passports are more severe than the risk the virus poses to our society. Some even maintain that for the unvaccinated, the benefits of herd immunity from promoting vaccinations are larger than the side effects of discrimination. There will always be uncertainty on the efficacy of such vaccines against new variants, but with case numbers in Korea remaining high — 2,520 COVID-19 cases on November 11 — it may serve as a strong frontline defense until transmission levels decrease.
At present, vaccine passports in Korea are restricted to non-essential places and discretionary activities only. The plan for vaccine passports remains tentative with several risk factors such as end-of-year gatherings; the Korean government will immediately take emergency measures if the number of new cases reaches 10,000 a day. It is hoped that vaccine passports will be a helpful addition to our long-term protective measures of wearing masks, ventilating indoor rooms, and receiving PCR tests when symptoms appear.