Vaccine passports shelved in England as Scotland presses ahead

England will not introduce vaccine passports for large events or entry to nightclubs, the UK health minister has said.

It comes as Scotland prepares to ask for proof of Covid-19 jabs from October 1.

Sajid Javid told the BBC on Sunday: “We shouldn’t be doing things for the sake of it.

“I’m pleased to say we will not be going ahead with plans.”

Previously, it was suggested the scheme would be introduced in England at the end of September.

From Friday, October 1, Scots will need to show their coronavirus vaccine passport for entry to large-scale events, nightclubs and adult entertainment venues.

At the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, MSPs voted by to approve the measures by 68 votes to 55.

The government said from September 30, there will be able to a NHS Scotland Covid Status App with a QR code to show they have been vaccinated.

On Saturday, the most recent official figures showed nearly a thousand people were in hospital in Scotland with Covid-19.

On Sunday, Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf said ever single adult in Scotland had been offered the chance to be fully vaccinated.

He urged people “not to leave the job half done” and take up their second dose.

Responding to Javid’s announcement, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: “This is a triumph for privacy campaigners and my Liberal Democrat colleagues in Westminster.

“The solution to the current crisis is vaccinations and a functioning contact tracing system, not Covid ID cards. You shouldn’t have to share your private medical information with someone who is not your clinician.”

Deputy First Minister and minister for the Covid recovery John Swinney told STV News: “The UK government is free to make its own decisions about the pandemic and in Scotland we listen carefully to public health advice.

“We think that it’s an important given the significant pressure we have on the national health service.

“We have got to take proportionate measures to try to contain the virus.”