Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government was looking at ways to promote and encourage Canadians to get their vaccine, and certificates for international travel were not taken off the table.
The idea, typically referred to as "vaccine passports," is not an unusual one, said Trudeau, who pointed out that vaccinations for entry in to certain countries has been the norm for a number of years.
This is, of course, true. TravelDocs shows a comprehensive list of which countries require vaccines for entry.
Trudeau: “We will look at all sorts of different ways to encourage people to get vaccinated and keep people safe. The idea of certificates of vaccination for international travel exist already.”
— Roberto Wakerell-Cruz ?? (@Robertopedia) March 12, 2021
Who’s ready for their vaccine passport photo? ? pic.twitter.com/dA8Mf7qpKn
"The idea of certificates of vaccination for international travel exist already, and are well established," said the prime minister on Friday.
"There are countries in the world where you shouldn't go unless you can prove that you've been vaccinated against certain probably diseases, for example. That's well established."
Trudeau was more hesitant to the idea that vaccine certification should be used domestically, however. The prime minister said that vaccine passports for local events such as concerts or eating at restaurants could lead to discrimination, and issues with equity.
"The idea of certificates for vaccination for domestic use, to decide who can go to a concert, or who can go to a particular restaurant or engage in certain activities, does bring in questions of equity, fairness, there are some people who because of medical conditions or other reasons will not be able to get vaccinated," he said.
"There are others who are not on priority lists who will have to wait much longer before getting vaccinations. These are things that we have to take into account so that, yes, we're looking to try and encourage everyone to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, but we're not discriminating and bringing in unfairness in the process at the same time."
The issue of vaccine passports has been one that has split world governments. In the United Kingdom, Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi said the idea of a vaccine passport was "discriminatory," and that the government had "no plans" to introduce them in Britain.
The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has echoed similar sentiments.
Israel, however, has already implemented a program that would require proof of the vaccine before accessing facilities such as gyms.
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