France's health pass in use in Paris (Image: ABACA/Lafargue Raphael)

Having just spent a few days in Paris, we’ve quickly become used to showing our pass sanitaire, or vaccination certificate, to gain access to the city’s main tourist sights, including museums, churches and art galleries. 

It’s pretty simple — a QR code on your phone is scanned at entry, or you can carry a good old-fashioned paper copy if preferred.

The rule to be vaccinated to enter certain public spaces, or to provide a negative COVID test less than 72 hours old, has been in effect in France since July 21. As of August 9, the pass also became compulsory for long-distance train travel and to enter bars and restaurants.

While there have been some protests around the country against the introduction of the pass, the number of the disgruntled remains fairly small. Demonstrators seem to be an amalgam of those from the far left and far right of politics.

It was estimated about 200,000 people marched against the pass sanitaire last weekend, but more than 7 million people have registered to be vaccinated since its arrival was announced. Politicians here make no apologies for it, with Health Minister Olivier Veran saying the government cannot put those who are anti-vax, anti-science and anti-state over those who respect distancing and have been vaccinated.

“There comes a time when enough is enough,” he said.

Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari was at Gare de Lyon in central Paris on Monday morning, talking to commuters about the need for the pass.

President Emmanuel Macron has recently taken to social media platform TikTok to reach more young people and get his message out about vaccination. More than 63% of the population aged over 12 have been vaccinated.

“It’s a question of being a good citizen,” he said last week. “Our freedom is worth nothing if we infect our friends, neighbours or grandparents. To be free is to be responsible.”

Having lived in France for more than a year, and recently receiving five-year residency permits, it’s hard not to contrast life here with our friends and family in lockdown in Melbourne and Sydney.

The constant focus on hotspots and public exposure sites in Australia is hard to believe when we read the local news — it all comes down to the fact that the Australian government failed to secure enough vaccines last year to safeguard its people. We’re frankly surprised there isn’t more outrage at this simple fact.

Our lives are pretty much back to normal in France and most people have accepted the need for the vaccine pass as part of la vie quotidienne, or daily life. It will be in place until at least November. 

The pass removes the need for lockdowns, and the government is showing leadership in the language used around its introduction. Infections here are still around 20,000 a day but the pressure has been removed from the hospital system because of the high number of vaccinations.

We are now watching Australia in anticipation of its next major public debate being around the need for a pass sanitaire.

With Europe now way ahead of Australia in terms of its response to the virus, we hope Prime Minister Scott Morrison is humble enough to learn from overseas — instead of insisting on an “Australian” response to everything — and is planning to implement a similar system for entry to public spaces as soon as possible.

France and many other countries were gracious enough to praise Australia’s initial response of quickly shutting its borders, but most people here now ask us when we’ll be able to return to our country of birth and are surprised when we say we really don’t know.

Meanwhile, my elderly parents, aged 88 and 90, have recently gone into a nursing home, and our granddaughter, who was three when we left, is soon to start school. 

We’re hoping we can see them all again next year, but the approach to the virus in Australia still has a long way to go before we’ll contemplate booking a flight.

Jane Wilson is a former adviser to the Bracks and Andrews government, now living in France