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“In part this is because in New Zealand the right to refuse medical treatments like vaccines is in the Bill of Rights, but this right, like so many others, can be overridden at specific times, such as emergencies.
“If New Zealand wanted vaccines to be mandatory for COVID-19, it could, but this would require a specific law.”
Rather than go this route, Professor Gillespie hopes New Zealand will take an “easier option” by allowing people to decline a vaccine, but ensuring that other members of the community do not share the risks of those who choose not to get vaccinated.
“Usually this can be an exclusion, such as creating rules to ensure that those who are not vaccinated cannot go to certain places, such as schools, or, as in the case of Australia, excluding those receiving assistance. certain benefits “.
Professor Gillespie was referring to Australia’s controversial ‘No Jab, No Pay’ policy, which renders families ineligible for the full Family Tax Benefit rate unless all children are immunized according to their National Program for Immunization.
He said that this list of exclusions available to the Government could be expanded depending on the severity of the crisis and the need for the vaccine, but “it would have to be done carefully by law.”
