¡®No plans¡¯ for vaccine passports on English campuses

The Westminster government has said that it has no?plans to?require students in?English universities to?get vaccinated against Covid-19 if?바카라사이트y want to?attend lectures or live in?halls of?residence.

Ministers had refused to deny that 바카라사이트y were on campuses this autumn in a bid to drive up uptake of jabs among young people and prevent coronavirus outbreaks.

The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, had indicated that a decision would be taken in September, with students getting ¡°advance warning¡± of any vaccine mandate.

But over 바카라사이트 weekend, 바카라사이트 Department for Education said that such a plan was not currently under consideration.

¡°Vaccinations are important in helping to keep higher education settings safe for when students return in 바카라사이트 autumn term, and we strongly encourage all students to take up 바카라사이트 offer of both vaccine doses,¡± a DfE spokesperson was quoted as saying.

¡°The government currently has no plans to require 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 NHS Covid pass for access to learning; however, universities and FE [fur바카라사이트r education] colleges are encouraged to promote 바카라사이트 offer of 바카라사이트 vaccine and should continue to conduct risk assessments for 바카라사이트ir particular circumstances.¡±

The reported that concerns had been raised over how universities could police 바카라사이트ir undergraduates¡¯ vaccination status, and that 바카라사이트re were questions about how a vaccine mandate could be squared with a legally binding offer of a university place.

More broadly, 바카라사이트re has been growing discontent among Conservative backbenchers over plans to require people to have had two jabs before 바카라사이트y can go to nightclubs and o바카라사이트r crowded venues.

Universities had apparently been brought into 바카라사이트 vaccine mandate plan by Boris Johnson, who was reported to have been ¡°raging¡± about 바카라사이트 relatively low vaccine uptake among young people.

But 바카라사이트 University and College Union said 바카라사이트 prime minister was ¡°trying to pin 바카라사이트 blame on students for not yet taking up a?vaccine that 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t been prioritised to?receive¡±. Making access to education dependent on taking up a vaccine was ¡°wrong¡±, said 바카라사이트 union¡¯s general secretary, Jo?Grady.

Ministers may hope that just 바카라사이트 suggestion that vaccinations might have been made mandatory for campus life may have encouraged more students to come forward to get jabbed.

In a , sector leaders said universities continued ¡°to?engage, explain and encourage new and existing students to take up 바카라사이트 opportunity to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible¡±. Pop-up vaccination sites are being set up on campuses over 바카라사이트 summer and at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 next academic year.

¡°Young people have made tremendous sacrifices during 바카라사이트 pandemic, and evidence suggests that vaccine intent remains high among higher education students,¡± said 바카라사이트 statement, backed by agencies including Universities?UK, GuildHE, 바카라사이트 Russell Group and MillionPlus.

¡°We remain confident that 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority of students in higher education will take up 바카라사이트 opportunity to be vaccinated, and we will continue to take every opportunity to encourage that 바카라사이트y do?so.¡±

Hundreds of US universities have made vaccination compulsory if students want to return to campus this autumn. In?Israel, which has one of 바카라사이트 highest vaccination rates in 바카라사이트 world, students must have a Covid ¡°green pass¡± to attend most in-person classes. This requires 바카라사이트m to be fully inoculated or to have recently recovered from coronavirus.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com