Covid 19 | Scotland | Mandatory Vaccine Certification Scheme Approved

In Holyrood yesterday (9th September 2021) the Scottish Government won a vote to implement a mandatory vaccine certification from 1st October in Scotland.

A similar concept was raised by Boris Johnson for England as long ago as the 12th July, and most recently confirmed by Nadhim Zahawi the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine while being interviewed on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday (5th September) morning.

Wales have indicated they currently have no such plans and Northern Ireland have not yet confirmed their current stance.

Holyrood have taken the lead in outlining some detail but crucial elements are yet to be defined absolutely.

The Scheme will require a person seeking entry to certain venues and settings to show that they have been fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated, in this scheme, means vaccinated with a MHRA recognised vaccine in line with the MHRA recommended number of doses for the vaccine used and two weeks has passed for the vaccine to take effect

Initially, the scheme will not permit a negative test result to be offered as an alternative to vaccination, but this will be kept under review.

In a strategy plan published on Thursday the Scottish Government confirmed:

• the scheme to be ready to go live on 1 October 2021

• the following persons will be exempt from the scheme:
• under 18s (we will keep the age under review and this is likely to be reduced to 16 once all in the 16-18 age group have had the opportunity to be vaccinated)
• participants in vaccine trials
• people unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons
• employees at venues within scope of the scheme
• an exemption approval process for medical exemptions will be finalised and published ahead of implementation.
• The scheme will apply only in the following "higher risk" settings.
• nightclubs and analogous venues
• sexual entertainment venues
• live events: indoors unseated 500+ in the audience
• live events: outdoors unseated 4,000+ in the audience
• all events: 10,000+ in the audience

Staff at a venue subject to the scheme will download a free QR code verifier app to a smartphone or device. This will be available for download in week beginning 13 September.

The definition of a ‘nightclub’ has not yet been finalised. The final term is expected to cover ‘nightclubs’ and other analogous venues (yet to be defined). The Scottish Government state they “are working with stakeholders to finalise a definition that will ensure the intended public health benefit, but not result in market distortion or displacement.”

We shall keep you updated.