Vaccination must be voluntary not compulsory

In the past week, there have been media reports that some people have not been able to enter malls and other public places because they have not received a COVID-19 vaccine. In some places those holding a government-sponsored post have even had their salaries suspended until they get vaccinated.

The National Health Commission has responded by stressing the three basic principles of COVID-19 vaccination again, namely “voluntary participation, informed consent and personal responsibility for risk”.

The public has shown the greatest understanding and taken a cooperative approach to measures such as wearing masks and the use of health codes.

And in general that has been the case with the vaccines. When China successfully developed its own COVID-19 vaccines and started its vaccination drive early this year, the government did not make it mandatory for people to get vaccinated. Instead, it presented the facts: that vaccination is a most effective means to control the spread of the virus and lower the death rate and the severity of the disease should someone become infected.

That policy has proved effective. By July 14, the National Health Commission announced that the total number of vaccinations in China had exceeded 1.4 billion doses, second to that of the US. On Friday, a vaccine developed by SinoPharm was approved for those aged between 3 and 17.

Those who replace “encourage” with “compulsory” have distorted the good policy. There are some medical conditions that do not allow a person to get a COVID-19 vaccination, and it is contraindicated for those with certain allergies, breast-feeding mothers and pregnant woman.

At the vaccination sites, the medical staff will always ask the intended recipients about their health history and if they have any allergies. Those not suitable for the vaccine will not be allowed to get a jab.

It will be unfair if someone cannot enter a place just because he/she has a certain condition that makes him/her unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

It should be stressed that “voluntary” and “vaccination for all who need it” are not contradictory to each other, and the public has already formed a consensus about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination, as shown by the high vaccination rate. That in turn is based on the tireless awareness work of health experts and government staff. It is counterproductive of places to use measures to compel people to get vaccinated.

Instead, they should redouble their efforts to make people aware of the importance of being vaccinated and that the vaccines are safe. By encouraging people to get vaccinated, herd immunity, will hopefully be realized in the most populous nation of the world by the end of this year.