I just got my first vaccine jab with Comirnaty, the local trade name of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine.
MedEwok wrote:
At least in Germany, most legal experts agree that this is not possible. If restrictions on personal life are placed upon people on the grounds of risk of infection, then these restrictions become impossible to legally uphold once the person is no longer infectious. In theory, that should also apply to those who are naturally immune after an infection.
It’s been since ever that certain states only would allow you in with a vaccination for one disease or the other and rightly so.
So what is the difference here? We have a megainfectious disease here which wrecks havoc wherever it turns up and they get qualms about imposing restrictions for those who are willing to be the source of a superspread? IMHO these are different times and I suppose what will happen is, that either countries or transport companies will impose restrictions on those not vaccined. While I agree that the EU will probably avoid that, others won’t. So it will be very easy choice: Either get the vaccine or don’t fly / sail / come to us.
MedEwok wrote:
At least in Germany, most legal experts agree that this is not possible. If restrictions on personal life are placed upon people on the grounds of risk of infection, then these restrictions become impossible to legally uphold once the person is no longer infectious.
Depends on which experts you ask – and when you ask them ;-)
At least in public we haven’t seen any cases in Germany that successfully defended in front of a court that the Covid restrictions don’t apply to them because they already went through an infection.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
So what is the difference here?
The difference is that the vaccine is still a scarce resource. For yellow fever I just have to spend 150 bucks and can get the shot tomorrow. For Covid there is no legal way to get the shot. As a politician you just don’t want people to rob vaccination centers because there is a huge illegal market for the vaccine – which surely will be there if vaccinated/ non-vaccinated would make a huge difference in personal freedoms.
Things get even more severe if these benefits would also be granted to people who went through the disease: I know more than one restaurant owner personally who would say: "If I have to wait another 6 months for the shot and therefore can’t reopen my business but could open it if I am a “certified Covid survivor”, I would take the risk". Therefore I would expect a massive occurrence of “Covid-Parties” with people trying to infer themselves purposefully because they believe they are better of once through it .- that would be a disaster for public health.
Mooney_Driver wrote:
It’s been since ever that certain states only would allow you in with a vaccination for one disease or the other and rightly so.
Where? When?
I don’t describe myself as much of a global traveller, but I’ve been to the US and all over Europe more times than I care to remember. No state or immigration official thereof has ever taken the slightest bit of interest in what I might or might not have been vaccinated against.
Graham wrote:
Where? When?
Yellow Fever as to my knowledge is currently the only example which has broader global relevance in terms of mandatory vaccinations
Malibuflyer wrote:
Yellow Fever as to my knowledge is currently the only example which has broader global relevance in terms of mandatory vaccinations
Yeah…And those places that “require it” arent really places you would go to for fun… 
Graham wrote:
No state or immigration official thereof has ever taken the slightest bit of interest in what I might or might not have been vaccinated against.
Although I don’t travel to these parts anymore, I had to show my well worn yellow international vaccination passport numerous times when working in some ‘interesting’ parts of Africa and Asia. USCIS also require some vaccines for a Green Card (and I think for some visa categories).
In any case, this will make a comeback. Star Alliance airlines are already trialing an app that hold your Covid test results and in the future your vaccination data. No vaccine – no boarding. Don’t like it? No problem – walk.
skydriller wrote:
Yeah…And those places that “require it” arent really places you would go to for fun…
Exactly. It’s of very little relevance for the average European or North American. If you choose to visit the countries where yellow fever is present (and thus subsequent countries you visit may require proof of vaccination) then you by definition are taking all manner of other risks in addition to infectious disease.
This just in from Los Angeles:
Looks like our so-called ‘leaders’ (and I hesitate to use the word) are beginning to see the light and understand that the only way to get a grip on this virus is to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible. That said, while 12.000 vaccinations a day sound (and are) a lot, L.A. county alone has 10 million inhabitants (the greater L.A area has around 20 million), so there’s work to be done.
