The United Nations has warned countries against forcing vaccines on its citizens.
The UN classified the act of forcing vaccine on people as a violation of human rights.
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The UN issued this warning in a video message aired during a webinar on Wednesday. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet sent the video message to a Human Rights Council seminar.
Our impeccable sources revealed that some countries are in the way to introduce vaccine mandates. This mandate is to further assist in the fight against COVID-19.
Speaking about this, the UN rights chief advised these countries to ensure they respect human rights and their choices.
She emphasized on the necessary consideration required before making the vaccination compulsory.
Any “vaccine mandates must comply with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and non-discrimination”, she said, according to a transcript.
“In no circumstances should people be forcibly administered a vaccine.”
According to a report available on AFP the Bachete gave exception to Europe and other regions battling the surges. She said that these countries were “of course of the highest order of legitimacy and importance”
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She, however, stressed that “vaccine mandates should be employed only when necessary for achieving compelling public health ends”.
“And they should only be considered when less intrusive measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing have demonstrably failed to meet such health needs.”
The UN High Commissioner also clarified that the vaccines can be mandatory in countries where they are available and affordable.
“Unless all people have genuine, practical access to vaccines, vaccine requirements will not be consistent with fundamental human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination,” she said.
She added that “the actual vaccines employed must also be sufficiently safe and effective to achieve (the) public health aims.”
Also, she said that mandatory vaccination regime must be flexible enough. This is to allow for “appropriate exceptions, such as where a vaccination is medically contraindicated for an individual.”
The Human Rights expert said restrictions to certain liberties are permissible. These liberties include:
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Religious centres
- Other public places.
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However, forcing injections on people is unacceptable.
She said, “even if a person’s refusal to comply with a mandatory vaccination policy may entail other legal consequences, including, for example, appropriate fines”.
“Where penalties are imposed, they should be proportionate and subject to review by judicial authorities.”
There needed to be “appropriate procedural safeguards, including the right to seek a justified exemption and the right to appeal any form of penalty before a fair and independent authority,” she insisted.
In the future, she assured that anu vaccine mandates “should be subject to frequent official review to ensure they remain necessary, proportionate and non-discriminatory.”
Source: PUNCH HealthWise
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