Will the UK introduce mandatory Covid vaccinations?
PM says we need to have ‘national conversation’ about protecting the unvaccinated
Boris Johnson suggested he had not ruled out introducing mandatory vaccinations, telling yesterday’s Downing Street press conference that we need to have a “national conversation about the way forward”.
The prime minister said that he doesn’t believe that “we can keep going indefinitely with non-pharmaceutical interventions” such as enforcing masks and social distancing, just because a “substantial proportion of the population” has “sadly” chosen not to get vaccinated.
He added that there needs to be a discussion about “other things we can do to protect those who are hard to reach and haven’t got vaccinated for one reason or another”, to bring Britain back to the “equilibrium” it was in as a result of double jabs during the initial outbreak of the Delta Covid-19 strain.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, Johnson reminded the public that he had said “right at the beginning” of the pandemic that he “didn’t want us to have a society and a culture where we force people to get vaccinated”, adding: “I don’t think that’s ever been the way we do things in this country.”
Downing Street rows back on comments
Downing Street has since backtracked on the prime minister’s comments, with an unnamed source telling The Telegraph on Wednesday evening that “the government was not proposing to bring in mandatory vaccines”.
And when asked whether the government was considering mandatory vaccinations on Sky News this morning, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it was not, adding that he does not believe in “universal mandatory vaccination”.
“I think ethically it’s wrong, but also at a very practical level it just wouldn’t work. Getting vaccinated has to be a positive decision,” he said.
Which countries have mandatory vaccinations?
Several countries have introduced mandatory vaccinations as a vital measure to tackle vaccine hesitancy and boost public immunity as the pandemic rages on.
Greece and Austria will start fining the unvaccinated next year, while Germany’s new chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that he would vote in favour of a general vaccine mandate.
Evidence from countries that have mandated vaccinations for some workers and venue access suggest that the measures have proved effective in slowing infection rates. In France, for example, “vaccination rates have rocketed” while “Covid-19 cases have plummeted” ever since a vaccination “health pass” was introduced for cafes, restaurants, planes and trains, said Fortune.
Healthcare workers and mandatory vaccinations
On 9 November, the government announced that frontline NHS staff in England have to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by next spring if they want to keep their jobs, a move that will affect up to 100,000 NHS workers.
The government already requires care home workers and volunteers to show proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 unless they have a medical exemption.
Former health secretary Matt Hancock has described the case for compulsory vaccination across the NHS as “overwhelming”. Writing in The Telegraph in November, he said protection of patients is a “moral duty” and the science of the Covid vaccine is “comprehensively proven”.
“Mandating the use of the best science isn’t controversial,” he continued, adding “it’s common sense”.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kate Samuelson is the newsletter editor, global. She is also a regular guest on award-winning podcast The Week Unwrapped, where she often brings stories with a women’s rights angle. Kate’s career as a journalist began on the MailOnline graduate training scheme, which involved stints as a reporter at the South West News Service’s office in Cambridge and the Liverpool Echo. She moved from MailOnline to Time magazine’s satellite office in London, where she covered current affairs and culture for both the print mag and website. Before joining The Week, Kate worked as the senior stories and content gathering specialist at the global women’s charity ActionAid UK, where she led the planning and delivery of all content gathering trips, from Bangladesh to Brazil. She is passionate about women’s rights and using her skills as a journalist to highlight underrepresented communities.
Alongside her staff roles, Kate has written for various magazines and newspapers including Stylist, Metro.co.uk, The Guardian and the i news site. She is also the founder and editor of Cheapskate London, an award-winning weekly newsletter that curates the best free events with the aim of making the capital more accessible.
-
Who actually needs life insurance?
The Explainer If you have kids or are worried about passing on debt, the added security may be worth it
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Sexual wellness trends to know, from products and therapies to retreats and hotels
The Week Recommends Talking about pleasure and sexual health is becoming less taboo
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Is the AI bubble deflating?
Today's Big Question Growing skepticism and high costs prompt reconsideration
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Is the Gaza war tearing US university campuses apart?
Today's Big Question Protests at Columbia University, other institutions, pit free speech against student safety
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Is there a peaceful way forward for Israel and Iran?
Today's Big Question Tehran has initially sought to downplay the latest Israeli missile strike on its territory
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Is the next cold war a drone-swarm race between US and China?
Today's Big Question Both global superpowers are building up their capacity for surging robotic warfare. What happens next is anyone's guess.
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
How powerful is Iran?
Today's big question Islamic republic is facing domestic dissent and 'economic peril' but has a vast military, dangerous allies and a nuclear threat
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why are Republicans trying to change Nebraska's Electoral College vote?
Today's Big Question It's a chance for Donald Trump to block Joe Biden's path to re-election
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Is it time to end arms sales to Israel?
Today's Big Question Democrats urge restrictions following World Kitchen convoy deaths
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Is David Cameron overshadowing Rishi Sunak?
Talking Point Current PM faces 'thorny dilemma' as predecessor enjoys return to world stage
By The Week UK Published