​Vaccine passports have been given the go-ahead for nightclubs in Scotland

The Scottish government has approved the implementation of vaccine passports as a condition of nightclub entry.

Voting on September 9, Scottish MPs ruled in favour of the introduction of vaccine passports with 68 votes for and 55 against.

As a result, passports declaring full vaccination status will be needed to enter concerts, nightclubs, venues, and large scale sporting events as of October 1.

MSPs voted for the scheme to be introduced just a week after Nicola Sturgeon announced that the Scottish government had begun to consider its use - and two months since Boris Johnson considered the same plans in England.

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Those under the age of 18 will be exempt from using vaccine passports. By October 1, all adults in Scotland will have been given the opportunity to receive both vaccinations.

Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf said on the new scheme, “we do not want to re-impose any of the restrictions that have been in place for much of this year as we all know how much harm they have caused to businesses, to education and to people's general well-being.

“But we must stem the rise in cases,” he added, stating that vaccine passports will only be necessary for “higher-risk settings”.

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The introduction to the new rule is hoped to incentivise people to get their vaccine ahead of next month. Currently, 4.1 million people have received their first dose, while 3.7 million have now been fully vaccinated.

Hospitality staff at venues, nightclubs, and sporting venues will be able to download a verification app from next week ahead of the launch of the new scheme. In England, vaccine passports will be introduced at the end of the month.

Night Time Industry Association CEO Michael Kill said that the vote "has put an already fragile nighttime economy on a 'dangerous path' to devastation" following the news.

"The call for evidence from the Scottish Government has been ignored, and has left us no option but to challenge this, as an industry in the coming weeks, or we will suffer the catastrophic consequences of ill thought out policy," he added.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter