AN Australian Medical Association national leader has defended plans for a digital vaccine passport, saying it's designed to encourage COVID immunisation.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Vice president Chris Moy was commenting after criticism of the plan and its potential impact from state leaders and member for Indi Helen Haines.
AMA president Omar Khorshid, raised the interstate travel move with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who will discuss it at a national Cabinet meeting on June 4.
"This is an idea to galvanise states and the federal government about a positive narrative about why people should want to get vaccinated," Dr Moy said.
"We need them to be constructive and work together and not be half-cocked about something they haven't worked together on as a group."
Asked about the potential for such a passport to result in border checkpoints as mooted by Dr Haines, Dr Moy said "it's too early to talk about those logistics".
"I think people are getting ahead of themselves and they need to calm down and nut this out," he said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Dr Moy noted vaccinations were already recorded electronically via the Australian Immunisation Register and that database could be converted for passport use.
He suggested its adoption could involve QR codes.
Dr Moy said while "the specifics are not there" having a passport could assist in overcoming vaccine hesitancy and counterbalance negative media sentiment on the issue.
"It would be rather silly to kill it off because the states can't talk to each other," he said.