Over-65s could be banned from restaurants, cafes and trains if they’ve not had their booster jabs

People aged over 65 could be barred from cafes, restaurants and long-distance trains if they can’t show a valid proof they’ve had the booster jab, the health secretary has warned. 

Sajid Javid said he would not rule out following France’s regime of requiring health passes for the over-65s and warned vaccine immunity was warning.

He added: ‘In due course we will have to look at what constitutes vaccination.’

It could mean Britons need three doses to be classed as ‘fully vaccinated’, with those who have received fewer denied entry to crowded places and restricted from travelling.

France announced this week that over-65s will need a booster to access restaurants, trains and planes from the middle of next month.

Asked if the UK could follow suit, Mr Javid told Sky News: ‘We’re not looking at that yet. We are very focused on our booster programme, as you would imagine.

‘Over 10.6 million boosters, I think, throughout the UK so far already, a record number of bookings, many people coming forward.

‘In due course, we will have to look at what constitutes vaccination.

‘But at this point, the most important thing is that anyone that’s eligible gets out there and gets their booster.’

Asked if that meant the policy could be introduced in the future, Mr Javid added: ‘I can’t rule that out. And I think that we know now that the vaccines do wane and it is important that… people get a top-up.’

Everyone over the age of 50 and high-risk groups are eligible for a booster vaccine in the UK six months after their second dose.

Anyone travelling to the UK without two doses is required to self-isolate for ten days on arrival. Some countries do not allow access to those who are not fully vaccinated.

Boris Johnson has previously said Covid vaccine passports could be required to enter crowded venues this winter if the virus gets out of control.

There has been some concern that the public are not coming forward for their booster as quickly as they did for their first and second shots. And many have reported difficulties trying to book a convenient time and place for their jab.

Everyone over the age of 50 and high-risk groups are eligible for a booster vaccine in the UK six months after their second dose (file image)

Speaking when the booster programme was announced in September, Professor Jonathan van Tam, the deputy chief medical officer, said there was ‘no current consideration of Covid certification in terms of the boosters’.

Asked if he would consider people fully vaccinated if they had not received all three jabs, he said: ‘I would consider they don’t have the optimal protection on board, as a scientist.

‘Whether there will be a ministerial decision about what constitutes Covid certification or not for boosters is something that ministers will need to decide on in the future.

‘But that’s a long way off because you can’t put in those kinds of rules until everyone’s had the opportunity to be brought forward and offered the vaccine in the first place.’  

The Government is on track to fall far short of its target of offering boosters to the 32million most vulnerable, including all over-50s, by Christmas Day.

At the current rate, of about 300,000 doses a day, nearly ten million at-risk Britons will still be unprotected over the festive period.

Ministers are under pressure to deliver 500,000 boosters a day to tackle waning immunity and stop a surge in hospital admissions.