FRANCE VACCINE PASS. The bill transforming the health pass into a vaccine pass was adopted at first reading in the National Assembly, before being examined by the Senate next Tuesday. What’s this ? What’s the point ? What proofs to have a complete vaccination pass? Is a certificate of reinstatement taken into account? On what date in France?
[Mise à jour le 6 janvier 2022 à 11h06] The vaccination pass should replace the current health pass in order to encourage the 5 million unvaccinated French people to receive their dose of Covid vaccine. the text of the bill relating to the vaccination pass has been examined by the National Assembly since Monday, January 3, 2022 and was adopted on first reading (214 votes in favor, 93 against, 27 abstentions), early this Thursday, January 6, after three days of heated debates, twice suspended. The text will be examined by the Senate next Tuesday in session, before returning to the Assembly which will have the last word if the two authorities do not agree on a common version. The text will also have to be published in the Official Journal to take effect. The government wanted to put in place this vaccination pass as soon as possible, ideally January 15, 2022. But in view of the delay in considering the bill, the date of entry into force should be postponed. Concretely, this means that only vaccination would be valid in the country. The option of getting tested would no longer be possible to go to restaurants, to the cinema, to bars … Certificate of reinstatement will also be taken into account in the vaccination pass. “The bill provides that, by way of derogation, the presentation of a recovery certificate could be accepted as part of the new vaccination pass”, we can read in the bill. The modalities would be determined by a decree of Prime Minister.
As a reminder, the introduction in Europe of a vaccine passport had already been mentioned in January 2021. It was a document, in the form of a QR code or in paper version, certifying that a person had received a full vaccination against Covid-19. This sesame allowed him to travel abroad without testing and to access certain public places or events. Subject to controversy, deemed too restrictive, discriminating and unequal, the vaccination passport had finally been replaced by the health pass as used to date. But the Scientific Council, in a notice from July 2021 recommended “the establishment of a vaccination passport, for individual purposes in order to be able to access certain “spaces of freedom” (restaurants, cultural activities, sports …). Finally the idea will have gained ground. To understand.
What does the vaccination passport consist of and what is it used for?
Unlike the vaccination passport, the health pass is not only linked to vaccination.
The vaccination passport (or vaccination certificate) is an official document which certifies that the person has received all the injections of the vaccine against Covid-19 (two doses then booster). This is a “pass” which could allow its holder to travel to another country (if the host country recognizes its validity), but also to certain public places (restaurants, museums, sporting events, cultural places, etc.). On the other hand, the vaccination passport does not mention negative tests or certificates of recovery from Covid. It is therefore not the same as a health pass.
Does it already exist? There is a international vaccination record, sometimes required to enter certain countries, issued in International Vaccination Centers to people who come to be vaccinated against yellow fever.
What is the content of the bill on the vaccination pass?
A bill transforming the health pass into a vaccine pass was tabled in the National Assembly on December 27, 2021 to encourage the 5 million unvaccinated French people to do so. It was adopted at first reading on January 6, 2022 by the National Assembly. This bill also contains other measures such as the possibility for professionals in establishments open to the public to verify the identity of clients, in case of doubt about the veracity of the pass. This bill changes the system from the health pass to a vaccination pass for all the activities and people to which it was applicable, except for health, social and medico-social services and establishments. Changes have been made compared to the initial text:
- The age of the vaccination pass has been pushed back to 16 (instead of 12) for school trips and extracurricular and extracurricular, cultural or sports activities
- People with fake passes will not be penalized if they are injected with a first dose of vaccine within 30 days following the commission of the offense.
- The question about identity checks in case of suspicion of vaccine pass fraud could also be modified. The text provides for “clarification of the wording relating to the verification, by the persons concerned, of the identity of the holder of a health or vaccination pass so that it cannot be assimilated to an identity check within the meaning of Code of Criminal Procedure”
What are the differences with the health pass?
The vaccination passport should not be confused with the (European) health pass implemented in France since June 9 and implemented at European level on July 1.
► The health pass contains: proof of a complete vaccination schedule, a negative PCR or antigen test less than 24 hours or a positive PCR test less than 6 months old (serving as a certificate of recovery)
► The vaccination pass contains: proof of a complete vaccination schedule or the result of a positive PCR test less than 6 months old (serving as a certificate of recovery). In other words, the result of a negative test will no longer allow you to have a valid pass.
In both cases, a vaccination contraindication certificate provides a valid pass.
| Information contained | With the vaccination passport | With the health pass |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of vaccination | YES | YES |
| PCR or antigenic tests negative | NO | YES |
| Certificate of recovery from Covid | YES | YES |
Is the certificate of reinstatement valid?
According to law Project of the government examined in the National Assembly then in the Senate “the certificate of recovery may continue to replace the proof of vaccination status”. This is also what Olivier Véran “confirmed” on December 29, 2021 during his hearing at theNational Assembly : “I confirm that the Certificate of Recovery – issued to people who have been infected with Covid and are not yet eligible for vaccination – will give access to the vaccination pass, under the same conditions that it gave access to the health pass. The wording appearing in this bill is a little different from that relating to the health pass, which may have motivated your interventions, but I guarantee that the taking into account of the certificate of recovery is indeed planned. in the text”
Starting at what age ?
In the initial bill, the government indicated that the vaccination pass would apply to children from 12 years of age to access restaurants, interregional public transport, cinemas, cultural places … Nevertheless, the deputies made an amendment and adopted the almost unanimously raising this age limit at 16 years old for school trips and extracurricular and extracurricular activities. The government has finally come on board with this change. The socialist amendment provides “not to apply the vaccination pass for minors aged 12 to 15 but to maintain the current health pass system for these minors”.
Date in France: where is the law?
The entry into force of this vaccination pass is scheduled for January 15, 2022 in France. “We hope for the 15th“January, but”it does not depend on us“, confirmed Jean Castex interviewed on BFM-TV and RMC on Thursday, January 6. Indeed, the bill is subject to a strict legislative process. Before being adopted, the vaccination pass must undergo several examinations by the Assembly and the Senate, the two bodies that can slow down its adoption. Back on the schedule of the parliamentary shuttle and the facts:
- Monday January 3, 2022: the bill is examined in the Assembly, then suspended at the request of the majority of the deputies.
- Tuesday January 4, 2022: the debates around this bill have once again been suspended, after a statement by Emmanuel Macron interviewed by Le Parisian January 4 “I’m not for pissing off the French. I plague the administration all day long when it blocks them. Well, there, the unvaccinated, I really want to piss them off“, provoking the outrage of the opposition.
- Wednesday January 5, 2022: debates resumed in the National Assembly.
- Thursday January 6, 2022: At 5:25 am, the National Assembly adopted at first reading the draft law on the vaccine pass (214 votes in favor, 93 against and 27 abstentions)
- Tuesday January 11, 2022: The bill will be examined in committee in the Senate. Once the Senate review is complete, the bill will need to be debated again in the Assembly. Last step :
→ If the Senate and the National Assembly agree on all the terms of the bill, the vaccination pass can be introduced in France.
→ If they do not agree on all the terms, deputies and senators will have to agree during a joint committee. If they still do not come to an agreement, the National Assembly has the last word.
The vaccination pass required at the hospital?
The vaccination pass will not be required “to go to the hospital or to a nursing home”.
According to the text of the bill, health, social and medico-social services and establishments remain subject to the health pass under the same conditions as those applicable since the adoption of the law of August 5, 2021. Hospitals and nursing homes will therefore not be affected by the vaccination pass. On December 29, Olivier Véran confirmed before the National Assembly’s Law Commission that the vaccination pass will not be required “to go to the hospital or to an nursing home. We do not want to prohibit access to care for the unvaccinated”.
The vaccination pass required in transport (train, plane …)?
According to the text submitted to the Assembly, it will be necessary to present a vaccination pass to access interregional transport (TGV, Ouigo, Intercités …). Logically, access to a plane should also be conditional on presentation of a vaccination pass.
The vaccination pass required in business?
Olivier Véran had mentioned the idea of a health pass at work in an interview with France Inter, December 18, 2021. He considered it useful to “ask yourself the question of a health pass to go to work“. But this possibility does not finally figure in the bill presented to the Council of Ministers on December 27, 2021.
Sources: Vie-publique.fr/ Covid-19: a European health certificate, June 16, 2021 / WHO / Report of the National Assembly, December 30, 2021.