Differing American and EU attitudes towards identifying unvaccinated persons --poll and draft document

Americans support restricting unvaccinated people from offices, travel: Reuters poll A growing number of Americans want to get the coronavirus vaccine, and a majority also support workplace, lifestyle and travel restrictions for those not inoculated against COVID-19, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday. Chris Kahn U.S.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A growing number of Americans want to get the coronavirus vaccine, and a majority also support workplace, lifestyle and travel restrictions for those not inoculated against COVID-19, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday.

The national opinion poll of 1,005 people, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, suggested the pace of vaccinations may pick up as more vaccines become available and more people want them.

Altogether, 54% of respondents said they were “very interested” in getting vaccinated. That was up from a January survey, when 41% expressed the same level of interest, and 38% in a May 2020 poll before a coronavirus vaccine was developed.

Interest in the vaccine increased over the past year among whites and racial minorities, with about six in 10 whites and five in 10 members of minority groups now expressing a high level of interest.

Twenty-seven percent of Americans said they were not interested in getting vaccinated, which was relatively unchanged from a similar poll that ran in May.

But foreshadowing the social challenges that may emerge as the United States begins to pull out of the yearlong pandemic, the latest poll showed a majority of Americans want to limit the ways in which unvaccinated people can mix in public.

Seventy-two percent of Americans said it was important to know “if the people around me have been vaccinated,” according to the poll.

A majority - 62% - said unvaccinated people should not be allowed to travel on airplanes. Fifty-five percent agreed that unvaccinated people should not work out at public gyms, enter movie theaters or attend public concerts.

ALSO SEE: EU COVID-19 travel certificates must prevent 'discrimination', document shows

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union COVID-19 certificates intended to free up travel must prevent discrimination against those not vaccinated by including information on whether people have been tested or have recovered, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.

The European Commission is expected to release its final proposal for COVID-19 “green digital certificates” next week, with southern countries reliant on tourism hoping they will open up this year’s summer season.

But they ran into opposition from countries including Germany and Belgium, which said vaccination is neither obligatory nor currently available to all those willing to accept it. ....