‘In no circumstances’ is forced vaccination OK: UN rights chief

‘In no circumstances’ is forced vaccination OK: UN rights chief

GENEVA Switzerland: Countries considering introducing vaccine mandates in the fight against COVID-19 must ensure they respect human rights, the UN rights chief said yesterday, stressing that forced vaccination was never acceptable. Speaking to a Human Rights Council seminar via video message, Michelle Bachelet warned there were significant rights considerations that needed to be taken into account before making 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.” The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the aims sought by countries mulling mandates to protect lives as Europe and other regions battle fierce surges in the pandemic, were “of course of the highest order of legitimacy and importance”.

But she insisted 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.” She also emphasised that for any mandate to be acceptable, countries needed to ensure that vaccines are truly available and affordable.

“Unless all people have genuine, practical access to vaccines, vaccine