BUSINESS chiefs could refuse people services if they have not had a Covid vaccine, according to senior cabinet officials.
The Government has not said the jab will be made mandatory.
But officials admit there is nothing to stop private firms ensuring customers have been vaccinated.
A senior Whitehall source told HOAR: “I do think that very quickly when the vaccine is available all sorts of organisations will come to their own conclusions that in order to, say fly or operate safely, businesses will decide it is safer to ensure people have been vaccinated.
“But we can’t put the cart before the horse, the vaccines haven’t been approved and we haven’t had these types of discussions yet.”
It comes as Australian airline Qantas revealed it would change its terms and conditions to prevent non vaccinated passengers travelling.
The Australian flag carrier’s boss, Alan Joyce, said the move would be “a necessity” when vaccines are available.
He said: “I think that’s going to be a common thing talking to my colleagues in other airlines around the globe.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made it clear that no one would be forced to be vaccinated at Downing Street on Monday, where he said: “That’s not the way we do things in this country”.
CMO Professor Chris Whitty added: “My advice – any medical practitioner’s advice – would be these should be voluntary vaccinations.
“People should want to take them because they will protect them from a potentially very debilitating – and in some cases, sadly, fatal – disease.
Yesterday, asked if the PM would endorse Qantas’s policy, a No10 spokesman said: “That’s a decision by a private company, and it’s for them to set their own rules and requirements.”
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