Vaccinated Brits who want to go on holiday will be able to ask their GPs for written proof of their status, a key minister has said. 

Vaccines tsar Nadhim Zahawi ruled out immunity passports on Sunday morning amid reports that they could be implemented in the UK. 

But he suggested people who have been jabbed twice could simply ask their doctors for documented proof, if foreign countries ask tourists for it. 

It raises the prospect of people who have been inoculated against Covid-19 going on holiday this summer – and likely means older people will be able to get away sooner. 

Mr Zahawi ruled out vaccine passports for the UK, branding them ’discriminatory’ – but Sweden, Denmark and various other countries are already suggesting they will bring them in, with other governments likely to follow suit.

Greece is among the nations stating it they will waive quarantine requirements for those who have been jabbed.

Asked about whether the Government was considering issuing immunity passports, Mr Zahawi told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: ‘No, we’re not.

‘One, we don’t know the impact of the vaccines on transmission.

‘Two, it would be discriminatory and I think the right thing to do is to make sure that people come forward to be vaccinated because they want to rather than it be made in some way mandatory through a passport.’

But, he added: ‘If other countries obviously require some form of proof, then you can ask your GP because your GP will hold your records and that will then be able to be used as your proof you’ve had the vaccine.

‘But we are not planning to have a passport in the UK.’

Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair is among those to back the idea.

But the party’s current shadow business secretary Ed Miliband raised questions over how vaccine passports would be used, even as he suggested they ‘may be necessary’.

‘I am saying we should be open to this but there are complications to do this vaccine passport… Is it just for international travel? Is it for as you go about your business in your society?’, the former Labour leader asked.

But Mr Zahawi repeatedly ruled out the move for the UK.

It comes as he declared himself ‘confident’ that every adult over 50 would be offered a vaccine by May.

However he also expressed concerned around lower take up of jabs among people of colour in England. 

Meanwhile, there are fears that the Oxford jab is ‘less effective’ against the South Africa variant. 

Oxford vaccine lead researcher Professor Sarah Gilbert said that even if the vaccine proved less effective against emerging variants, the protection afforded would still take the pressure off the NHS.

As the virus continues to adapt against the current vaccines on offer, Mr Zahawi suggested an annual rollout of booster jabs was likely to be required.

But the Government is coming under renewed criticism for its border policy, with concerns that event the limited quarantine hotel measures due to be brought in in mid February may be hard to deliver because of a lack of preparation time for businesses. 

Commenting on reports that only arrivals from 29 of the 41 countries with known cases of the South African variant will face the measures, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary branded the Government’s stance ‘dangerous’.

Nick Thomas-Symonds said: ‘These revelations expose the fact that – as Labour warned – the UK Government’s quarantine measures will continue to leave us completely exposed to emerging strains of the virus.

‘Not only are the measures far too slow to begin – 50 days after the South African strain emerged – they are also dangerously inadequate. Tory incompetence is dangerous.’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously declared himself ‘optimistic’ that Brits will be able to enjoy summer holidays this year.

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