'Vaccine passports': Will I need one for going out, work and travel?

P&O Cruises has said that anyone wanting to take its cruises around the British Isles this summer will need to have had two doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

It follows similar moves by a number of other holiday companies.

Cyprus has also said it will open its doors from May to UK tourists who have had both Covid jabs.

So will "vaccine passports" become essential for travel? Could they even be used within the UK to allow entry to places like pubs or sports stadiums?

At the moment, anyone who has had the jab receives a vaccination card, and the details go in their medical records.

The UK is among a number of countries considering whether to introduce more formal proof that someone has had the jab.

It's been suggested a passport feature could be added to the existing NHS app. People could then use their phone to prove they have been vaccinated or had a recent negative test.

Europe is also considering launching a "Green Digital Certificate" which would show whether EU citizens have had the vaccine, a negative Covid test or have previously had Covid.

However, not everyone is happy with the idea of vaccine passports. A petition asking the UK government not to introduce them has more than 300,000 signatures, meaning it will be considered for a debate by MPs.

It's quite possible - for some trips at least.

In future, some countries are likely to require proof of vaccination to allow entry.

"If another country says you can't come in unless you have the jab, then we want Brits to be able to demonstrate that," Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

Lockdown rules mean people must only travel abroad for essential reasons at the moment. The earliest date people from England will be able to have a foreign holiday is 17 May.

In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon agreed that foreign travel would "not be achievable before 17 May," adding that "it may well not be possible for a further period after that".

A passport could also theoretically be used within the UK, to allow visitors entry to venues such as bars or sports stadiums.

A review of whether such passports could help the economy recover has been announced by the government.

It will look at privacy and ethical issues, including how far companies will be allowed to go in requesting proof of vaccination.

The government will make its recommendations before step four of measures to ease lockdown in England - which is not due before 21 June at the earliest.

Pimlico Plumbers has said it will require employees to be vaccinated, and may not keep on those who don't comply.

Care home operator Barchester Healthcare has also said all new hires must get the jab.

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said making new staff get vaccinated could, in theory, be possible if it was written into their contracts.

But he said it was unlikely bosses could make existing workers have vaccines under their current contracts.

Demanding that staff be vaccinated would be unlawful in the "majority of circumstances", says employment lawyer Ella Bond, from Harper James solicitors.

Businesses are not allowed to discriminate against people for reasons including disability, pregnancy and religious belief.

Pregnant women are not generally recommended to have the vaccine unless they are at particular risk. And the vaccine isn't suitable for people with some health conditions, including certain allergies and immune system problems.

Sarah Gilzean, a discrimination lawyer at Morton Fraser, agrees that such valid reasons for not having the jab could make it hard for employers to insist staff have vaccine passports.

"In settings where there are alternatives like mass testing that are less intrusive, it's going to be difficult for employers to justify that requirement," she says.

In her view, health and social care jobs are the only cases where there is a "good argument" that vaccinations should be compulsory.