Turkmenistan is the first country that made its COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for all adults.
The rate of COVID-19 vaccinations across the globe remains at a slow pace. Apart from the challenges in the dose supplies, there is also an issue surrounding the public’s hesitancy.
This has become one of the alarming concerns of many health experts and organizations. Alongside this, there is the apparent surge of new infections due to the Delta variant.
With these things at hand, many countries have decided to make the COVID-19 vaccines “mandatory” for some sectors of their respective populations. Reuters released a run-down of which countries are pushing the mandates, as well as those that are aiming to follow the same footsteps.
Vaccine mandates across Europe
Three countries in Europe have already made their COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for some groups of individuals. It appears that Italy made the first move upon approving a decree earlier in March.
The Italian government has mandated all health workers, including pharmacists, to get the COVID-19 jabs. People who refuse could get a suspension, and without pay, for the rest of 2021.
Greece and France are following the footsteps of Italy by requiring nursing home staff and all health workers, respectively, to get the jabs starting July 12. For the former, the mandate will take effect among all health workers this September.
Meanwhile, some nations have already shared their plans of making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory. In England, care home workers will need to take the vaccinations starting in October. As for Poland, the country is seeing obligatory jabs for “some people at high risk” for August.
Mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations in Asia, Australia
Similar to some European countries, Australia made its COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory in late June. The mandate is reportedly for employees in quarantine hotels and high-risk aged-care workers.
In Asia, five countries already have varying vaccination mandates for their respective populations. These include Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkmenistan, and Russia, specifically in Moscow.
Among these Asian countries, one of them has already made COVID-19 vaccines compulsory for all adults, aged 18 and above. The country’s healthcare ministry announced its mandate on July 7.
The World Health Organization’s take
Hesitancy over the coronavirus vaccines remains apparent across the globe. But, despite this, only a few countries are keen to make the jabs a requirement. Even the World Health Organization is against making the vaccines mandatory, according to Channel News Asia.
Last December 7, the health agency stated that making the COVID-19 vaccinations a mandate “would be the wrong to take” for everyone. Instead, it believed that “persuading” the public “would be far more effective.”
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