One of the most senior bosses in Liverpool's night time economy has urged young people to get double jabbed if it becomes a condition of entry to nightclubs from the end of September.
Earlier this week, the government announced that full vaccination will be a condition of entry to clubs and other venues with large crowds from autumn.
Boris Johnson told the country: "We do reserve the right to mandate certification at any point if it's necessary to reduce transmission.
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"And I should serve notice now that by the end of September, when all over 18s have had their chance to be double jabbed we're planning to make full vaccination the condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather."
Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said nightclubs and other such venues could be "potential super spreading events" because of crowds in close contact.
Latest figures show 35% of 18 to 30-year-olds have not had their first jab.
John Hughes, chief executive officer of Liverpool Nightlife Community Interest Company, believes the hospitality industry is being unfairly targeted.
But he has encouraged people who have not been double jabbed to get vaccinated in order to "get Liverpool’s night-time industry moving again."
Mr Hughes told the ECHO: "It was a strange time to announce this, to have so-called "Freedom Day", and then some hours later tell everyone they need to be double jabbed to get in large events.
"It's disappointing, and it's been a very tough last 16 months with nightclubs being the only businesses to be completely closed for the whole time through Covid.
"At the end of the day, we're having 50,000 people a day being infected, and that's without clubs being open, so this announcement feels like we're being volleyed down the street.
"But, if this is what the government is asking for, it's down to the individual to get those jabs so they can come into nightclubs.
"A lot of young people I speak to do want to be vaccinated - they have nans and grandads who are more at risk so they want to protect them.
"We want to keep everyone who comes out in Liverpool and work with everyone, as we have been since March 2020, so we need to play by the rules."
Industry figures have criticised the vaccine passport move, claiming nightclubs are as Covid secure as restaurants, and are predicting revellers may stay in pubs or go to house parties instead, where passports are not required.
Mr Hughes said large numbers of people had left the Liverpool nighttime industry due to the pandemic closures, with "thousands of available jobs out there."
Clubs held "Freedom Parties" in the city on the cusp midnight on Sunday, opening at 12.01am on Monday with venues hosting events, many of which were sold out.
Mr Hughes added: "It'll be important to see what happens over the next four to six weeks.
"In other countries, it is a lot stricter, with jail for people who don't comply.
"I think it might be a ploy to persuade young people to get the jabs, who think they're invincible.
"But, we are more concerned about the rest of July and August, rather than September.
"It's down to the council and the government to make sure there are enough places to get your jabs.
"And you look at the likes of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with 140,000 and the Euros, with lots of people hugging and kissing, it doesn't seem balanced.
"Hospitality always gets the fingers wrongly pointed at it."
A government spokesperson said: "We appreciate the significant impact the pandemic has had on the hospitality industry - including the night-time economy.
"[This] is why, on top of our unprecedented £352bn package of business support, just last week we launched our hospitality strategy to help the sector recover as well as boost resilience long-term."
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