Promoting Vaccination from a Human Rights and Equity Perspective: Lessons from the Israeli Green Pass

Tamar Luster, Einat Albin, Aeyal Gross, Miriam Tabenkin, Nadav Davidovitch*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

Israel's vaccination percentage was among the highest recorded worldwide. The Israeli government opted for a model using a proof-of-vaccine document (Green Pass). However, the Green Pass policy raises practical, legal and ethical concerns. While immunisation passports could be utilised to protect one's health, significant legal difficulties arise from their usage as a vaccination encouragement scheme. Protecting health is a proper purpose, particularly as minimising the pandemic ameliorates the human rights violations that stem from the COVID-19 response, enables individuals to return to their daily lives and enhances economic activity. However, any privileges or restrictions guided by one's COVID-19 immunisation status must be designed with the utmost attention to prevent a disproportionate violation of the human rights of the non-vaccinated and the public at large. Furthermore, as Green Pass policies might entrench existing discriminatory structures, ensuring equality is vital in moving forward. By exploring two case studies - labour rights and the right to privacy - we demonstrate the legal and public implications of the Green Pass regime. Despite the removal of the Green Pass in Israel, discussions continue regarding its modified reimplementation. The wider implications of the model might extend beyond its specific legal arrangements and limited temporal phase, requiring us to bring long-term public health into consideration.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)308-320
Number of pages13
JournalEuropean Journal of Risk Regulation
Volume12
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2021

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