A health expert has blasted “dangerous” plans being considered by the government for an “immunity passport” to let those who’ve had coronavirus leave home.
The Health Secretary last night said he was looking at “an immunity certificate or maybe a wristband” to single out people with antibodies for Covid-19.
Matt Hancock told BBC Question Time: “That says ‘I’ve had it and I’m immune and I can’t pass it on and I’m highly unlikely to catch it’.”
Mr Hancock acknowledged the science is not there yet but said the scheme could allow some people in lockdown to “get back, as much as possible, to normal life”.
But health experts have warned that it may take 28 days after infection before an antibody test will work – and that immunity to Covid-19 may not last forever.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, critics have claimed a two-tier lockdown could encourage reckless or desperate people to get themselves infected in order to escape the house.
Today Eleanor Riley, Professor of Immunology and Infectious Disease at the University of Edinburgh, said such certificates would give people a “sense of false security”.
“It’s not something that we’ve ever done before,” she said.
“When we vaccinate people, particularly for certain diseases where they’re going to travel overseas… we give people a certificate saying they have been vaccinated.
“But that certificate doesn’t say they are immune and there’s a difference. We don’t know yet whether somebody who has had this virus is immune.
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“They have antibodies, they’ve clearly been exposed, yet will those antibodies protect them against reinfection? I’m not sure that we know that.”
She added: “For the general public, saying you’re immune they will think ‘oh OK, I don’t need to worry anymore’ – and there will be people who will die as a result of that.
“I think it’s very risky and I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Following a backlash Mr Hancock told ITV’s Good Morning Britain an immunity passport was a “really smart” idea – but stressed it’s not ready yet.
He said: “As yet we’re not going to bring them in.
“Because we don’t know yet that the immunity is strong enough and there’s still more science that needs to be done about the levels of immunity in people after they’ve had the disease.
“So it’s only when we have the confidence that that’s reasonable are we going to do that.”
Mr Hancock, who has just recovered from Covid-19, added: “For now I’m continuing social distancing, even though my body has beaten this virus so I almost certainly have the antibodies.”
The Department of Health said it could not currently provide further information on the plan to issue certificates as it was “too early in the science of immunity”.
“As the technology develops and becomes clearer we will be able to update,” a spokesperson said.
No antibody test has actually been approved for use in the UK yet but they are being used elsewhere and a UK version is expected soon.
Prof Riley said the exact purpose of immunity certificates was unclear for the general public.
“Who needs a certificate that says they’re immune to coronavirus? What are you going to use it for?” she said.
“For health service workers in the very particular instance of ‘are you safe to go back to work?’ it might be useful.
“For anybody else I really don’t see the benefit of it – A, at an individual level it’s not informative and B, if people think they are immune they will start to take risks and any attempt at social distancing will start to break down.”
