Health Expert Calls for End to Morocco’s Vaccine Pass Amid Low COVID Rates

"The vaccine pass does not really bring much to the epidemiological situation," said Dr. Tayeb Hamdi to Hespress, specifying however that the most vulnerable people over 60 who are not vaccinated are at greater risk. "But since the circulation of the virus is low, since in the health system, the occupancy of intensive care is at -0.2%, it is only up to the vulnerable and unvaccinated people to assume their responsibilities. This category of people should not have to bear their burden on the entire population who will be required to have the vaccine pass," he explained.

The specialist affirmed that the risk to public health today is very minimal, because "we cannot imagine seeing intensive care full tomorrow because we have not required the vaccine pass." He recalled that last October, Morocco introduced the vaccine pass, the generalization of the third dose to those 18 and over, and the requirement of the third dose for the validity of the vaccine pass, "which was not the case everywhere in the world and the approach of presenting the vaccine pass in the workplace." An action that had caused a boomerang effect.

According to the researcher in health policies and systems, the combination of the four in one fell swoop was a problem. "We should have introduced the vaccine pass in a gradual manner. We wanted to boost vaccination, but unfortunately we slowed it down, hence this boomerang effect. But there were also other factors that contributed to this situation, such as fake news or rather the flood of fake news that went with it. Indeed, the cornered anti-vaxxers, so to speak, in their corner, reacted, hence this brake on vaccination," he explained.