A Tory minister has sparked confusion over whether students will need to be double jabbed to attend lectures in the autumn.
Children's Minister Vicky Ford initially poured cold water on suggestions that Boris Johnson was pushing for new rules to require university students to be fully vaccinated before they can return to class or stay in their halls of residence.
But an hour later she changed tack, saying the idea was being considered as the Government mulls ways to boost vaccine uptake among young people.
Mr Johnson is said to be "raging" about vaccination rates among young people.
The PM suggested to ministers last week that it be made compulsory for students in higher and further education settings to get their jabs, apart from in certain medical exemptions, according to The Times.
But the Department for Education reportedly has concerns about whether the plan is practical or legal.
Asked if the Government was considering making it compulsory for students to be fully vaccinate, Ms Ford told Sky News: "No, we must make sure that we continue to prioritise education and if they want to be able to avoid the self-isolation such as we have said for other adults, the double-vaccinated adults by August 16 if you have not got a positive test, if you don't have symptoms, you won't need to self-isolate.
"So, for students who are returning to university that's really important."
But asked about the issue an hour later, she said all options were being considered.
She said: "I can't comment on things that haven't been announced but one does need to look at every practicality to make sure that we can get our students back safely and make sure that we can continue to prioritise education."
Pressed on whether compulsory vaccination was being considered, Ms Ford said: "We have always considered everything that we can do that all people are safe in education.
"The key thing as we know to keep transmission down is to make sure that people get their vaccination."
The idea could trigger anger among Tory MPs, with Education Committee chairman Robert Halfon branding it "wrong-headed".
"It's like something out of Huxley's Brave New World where people with vaccine passports will be engineered into social hierarchies - ie those who will be given a higher education and those who do not," he said.
Downing Street did not deny reports that students would need to be fully vaccinated to attend university lectures.
"You have heard what the PM has said before, specifically that the pandemic is not over," a No 10 spokesman said.
"We are still looking at the scope for vaccination certifications."
Asked if there was concern about take-up of the vaccines in younger age groups, the spokesman said: "I think you continue to see more and more young people coming forward to receive the vaccine, both in terms of first doses and now second doses.
"Of course, we want to see more people come forward to receive it.
"We would like to see everybody who is invited to come forward and receive the vaccination to do so. That's the message we continue to try and give to young people."
It comes as Keir Starmer hinted Labour could back vaccine passports for large events but not for “everyday use”.
He said: "I actually think tests are much more useful.
“I think that the idea that we can go back to mass sporting events or other events without any checks is not one I would subscribe to."
Asked whether he would support the Government, he said Labour would "look carefully" at proposals.
He added: "What I don't want to see – just to be very clear about this – is I don't want to see vaccine passports used on an everyday basis for access to critical things like health, dentistry, food, etc.
“So, for sporting events, I'll look at what the Government puts on the table.
“I want to be pragmatic because we all want all business sectors and sporting sectors to return as quickly as possible. But not for everyday use."
His deputy Angela Rayner branded the Government's plans "unworkable".
She said: "We think it is unworkable actually and we should be encouraging people to get the vaccine as soon as they possibly can, and also encouraging people to take regular tests as well, because that is how we keep control of the virus.
"Of course, even with the two vaccines you can still get Covid, so therefore testing has got to be an important part of that scheme."
