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Millions of people in France have had their vaccine passports deactivated because they have not received a booster shot, suddenly depriving them of access to many facilities and businesses.
The government changed the duration needed to get a booster after the second dose from seven months to four months and automatically updated the vaccine passports of millions of people to reflect the changes.
Related: How vaccine passports are crushing freedom, privacy, and civil liberties
The move to reduce the time needed to get a booster has been seen as a move to push people to get vaccinated. Data from health authorities indicate that the vaccine passports were deactivated for about 4 to 4.5 million people.
France 24 interviewed several people who got a notification that their vaccine passports had suddenly expired.
“There are too many rules coming out,” an 18-year-old student said. “First, it was after 6 months that we could get a booster. So I told myself, ‘OK, I have time.’ Then it was shortened to three months. It was a mess.”
“It’s sad but that’s how it is,” said a woman who was interviewed. “I don’t have the right to do anything anymore, so I’m not even trying. I hope the passport is suspended soon.”
The government has indicated the vaccine mandates might be lifted at the end of March or in early April.
