Compulsory Medical Examinations and “Green Pass”

Abstract

AbstractTo manage the COVID-19 pandemic, European governments have combined restrictive measures with a close monitoring of the epidemiological situation. The most stringent measures—such as the imposition of lockdowns, curfews and the closure of national borders—have always been justified by epidemiological indicators, in particular the evolution of COVID-19 cases and deaths. At the same time, the relaxing of containment measures has often come with the requirement to undergo compulsory medical examinations. This chapter discusses two types of medical procedures: compulsory testing policies predating the mass roll out of COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 passes. We show that, compared to other types of policies, the modalities of the pass were similar in the 26 European countries surveyed. Yet, its role and the epidemiological context in which it was implemented varied. Some countries introduced it when infections or deaths were increasing, while others did so during more stable periods. The vaccination rate following the introduction of the pass also varied. In countries with high vaccination rates but low confidence in vaccines, the impact of the pass was almost nil; conversely, it was high in countries with high confidence but low vaccination rates. Overall, we show the effectiveness of the COVID-19 pass to be context-dependent and preventing a blanket use in diverse countries.