WHO advises against making Covid-19 vaccines mandatory

The WHO has warned against making COVID-19 vaccines mandatory, as persuasion will be a more effective way to go.

By Chike Olisah

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that it does not foresee mandatory vaccinations being introduced around the world to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic as persuading people on the merits of the vaccine is much better.

The UN health agency said it would be the prerogative of individual countries as to how they want to conduct their vaccination campaigns against the coronavirus pandemic.

This disclosure was made by WHO’s Director of Immunization Vaccines and Biologicals, Kate O’Brien, during a news conference on Monday, December 7, 2020, according to Reuters

While insisting that making it mandatory to get vaccinated against the disease would be a wrong move, the WHO said information campaigns and making vaccines available to priority groups such as hospital workers and the elderly would be more effective.

What they are saying

WHO’s Kate O’Brien at anew conference said, “I don’t think we envisage any countries creating a mandate for vaccinations. There may be some countries or some situations in countries where professional circumstances require it or highly recommend to be vaccinated,” she added, saying hospitals might be one such instance.’’

She said that there may be certain professions in which vaccination is highly recommended or required, such as respiratory technicians and intensive care medics in hospitals for the safety of both the staff and the patients.

The WHO’s top emergency expert, Mike Ryan, also said, “We are much better served to present people with the data, present people with the benefits and let people make up their own minds, within reason.”

What you should know

• The UK is expected to commence its mass vaccination programme this week with other countries like the US and EU members likely to loin soon, following the successes recorded by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and even AstraZeneca/Oxford University Covid-19 vaccines.
• The authorities are seeking to reassure people of vaccines’ safety and efficacy in order to get a critical mass to take them in the face of what experts say are conspiracy theories entering the mainstream.
• The WHO was still waiting to start discussions with the incoming Joe Biden administration in the United States, after President Donald Trump stopped the United States’ funding of the UN Health agency.
• The WHO is also planning and hoping as soon as possible to visit China to study the origins of the coronavirus.

Chike Olisah

Chike Olisah is a graduate of accountancy with over 15 years working experience in the financial service sector. He has worked in research and marketing departments of three top commercial banks. Chike is a senior member of the Nairametrics Editorial Team. You may contact him via his email- chike.olisah@nairametrics.com.