An expert has warned plans to let people who have had two Covid jabs skip isolation will cause “resentment” by the rest of the public.
Robert West is professor in health psychology at University College London's Institute of Epidemiology and Health,
He told Times Radio he could "see the rationale" for freeing people who have been double-jabbed from having to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone who has Covid.
However, he said there were “significant problems” with the plan that “outweigh potential benefits”, as people who consider this unfair might stop following the rules.
Prof West, who is a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours, which advises Sage, said: "The most serious problem is that if you have a situation where not everyone has been even offered the vaccine then you've already got clearly a huge unfairness.
"When you get unfairness in situations like this, you get resentment and when you get resentment you can get loss of compliance."
Prof West said "the only possible scenario" where the policy might work was "a long way down the line" when everyone has been offered a double vaccine.
However, several other experts have challenged Prof West’s view on this, saying it would be "perfectly okay" to allow those who are fully vaccinated more freedoms.
Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer in communicable diseases at the University of Exeter, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that vaccines were breaking the link between cases, hospital admissions and deaths.
He said this means we can start thinking about people who are double vaccinated from needing to quarantine.
Epidemiologist Professor Christophe Fraser, who advised the Department of Health on test and trace, said a "midway" plan could be for people who have had two jabs get tested every day instead of quarantining.
The debate comes as England is seeing an "alarming" rise in Covid-19 cases.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that about one in 260 people in private households in England had Covid in the week to June 26th.
This is up from one in 440 in the previous week and the highest level since the week to February 27th.
The rise in cases has prompted top doctors to urge the government to keep some restrictions in place in England after the deadline of July 19th to stem the rate of infection.
The British Medical Association said that keeping some measures in place was "crucial" to stop the spiralling case numbers having a "devastating impact" on people's health, the NHS, the economy, and education.
The report follows Health Secretary Sajid Javid refusing to confirm to MPs this week that all restrictions will be scrapped at Stage 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown.