Gordon Bennet, you kids need to pay attention in biology lessons instead of skipping off for a fag behind the bike sheds. A virus is indeed a parasite; it's what's known as an obligate parasite, which is the kind that requires the host cell machinery to reproduce (not all parasites require that).

Dear wachtwoord, you've made the mistake here of engaging with the resident forum DEBOONKER. All you'll get is cries of "SOURCE??" or "fact free claim!!" "Do you have a link for that?!?". Then if you do bother provide a link, that link will be DEBOONKED by another link. It's tiresome and boring and not worth your time.

The same goes for the special few who are allowed to get away with saying what they want with regard to personal insults. Just ignore them too, either directly or indirectly. Please don't feel the need to leave, there's enough sensible people here who you're able to engage with on a civil and courteous level despite disagreement.

Indeed, god forbid that people fact check the nonsense and rhetoric that people like you, watchwoord and the other members of your collective mindset spout. I mean seriously, what is the world coming to if people are held to account for statements they make that may be... gasp... false!

Ahh, trollyclifton.

Is everything OK at home, Chuff? I hope you manage to get those unfortunate stains out of your mattress.

My wife left me a year ago, I can barely afford the rent for my tiny studio apartment or afford the alimony for my three ungrateful children... but at least I can hold my head high and say that I have a clean mattress. That's what keeps me going each day.

"civil and courteous"

Such a sad story

In the UK, where the topic of vaccine passports is beginning to hot up, it's being the Labour party has FINALLY decided to start doing their job and start opposing the government and will come out in opposition to the use of domestic vaccine passports. If this were to happen, together with Tory rebels, it would be almost guaranteed that a vote would never get through Parliament. Let's hope the Politico story is true!

The IATA Travel Pass will be released mid-April. Details here:

To protect others perhaps. My 22 year old son has had both Pfizer vaccines as he has contact with patients who are, by definition of their condition, extremely vulnerable to infection. He also now feels that he could visit my aged mother in the UK and see my brother who has just been diagnosed with lymphoma. Young people are not islands.

Here in Switzerland when you are vaccinated they are supposed to update your personal vaccination record card (Impfausweis, Certificat de vaccination, Certificato di vaccinazione).
No vaccine passport needed, one can just show this if proof required.

Same for my son. He’s 21 and is about to have his second dose of the Moderna vaccine.

He didn’t do it to protect himself but the vulnerable people he lives with and everybody else who is at risk.

We don’t have one of those so that would be difficult to do.

And if, or perhaps more likely, when governments begin requiring passengers prove their test/vaccine tests? Do you think they will accept an easily forged paper vaccination record card?

Oh wait, you do have to prove your testing, using an unsecured paper record. Forgeries already abound, including in France.

I know you've been vaccinated. Were you asked at any point in time if you'd be willing/interested in participating in a certified electronic vaccination passport program? I received an information sheet about it, but have not yet received any other news. Currently as proof of vaccination I have the wallet-sized vaccination card that has the original lot number stickers on it, and was emailed a PDF certificate from the Canton of Vaud Chief Medical Officer, also showing lot number of each jab.

I think there's two issues being conflated here, if your son works in health care as it sounds, then there is a duty of care element. If vaccines prevent transmission, as appears to be the case, and as we know most transmission has taken place in health care settings (hospitals and care homes), then it isn't unreasonable to expect health staff and care workers to take a vaccine.

Domestic vaccine passports to gain access to freedom and basic liberties, like being able to go to a restaurant or a pub, are just plain wrong. And given that vaccine passports are impractical until everyone has had the offer of a vaccine, why are they even necessary? Most people will have received a vaccination and Covid levels will be demonstrably low.

This is the most concerning shift in the post-Covid world, beforehand the burden of proof needed to be beyond reasonable doubt that such measures were necessary before they be implemented. Now this has flipped, so that the burden of proof that the efficacy and necessity of such measures work has to be disproved. Just as it was with lockdowns and masks. Freedom and liberty suspended "just in case".

You can always ask them to start a new vaccination card for you.

Except that unlike the much mooted vaccine passport, it will most likely not be recognised outside Switzerland
and therefore not be a quick remedy for opening up business and tourist travel again.

It is not easily forged, you need to apply the original lot number sticker from the vaccine vial see post 154.

It is similar process to the vaccine passports for animals, I have not heard of forgery problems with those.

UK Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi says it will be remiss of the government not to consider Covid certification
as a way of fully reopening the economy.

BBC News Covid passports: Certification is one option, says vaccines minister

Absolute Nonsense!

The Swiss Impfausweiss is an "international Certificate of Vaccination" so conforms to worldwide standards and is accepted everywhere even for proof of yellow fever vaccination which is one of the most stringent.