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It’s a headline that causes a sensation among vaccine opponents: Roche President Christoph Franz (60) is in favor of mandatory vaccination! He said it in an interview with the “Handelszeitung”. Vaccination against the coronavirus not only benefits the vaccinated person. “With a vaccine, everyone contributes to ensuring that the entire population is protected and that there are no restrictions.”
It shouldn’t be long before the first corona vaccine is ready for use: only recently, the German start-up Biontech and the American multinational pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that their vaccine effectively protects more than 90 percent of those vaccinated against the crown. The product is not yet on the market. However, the federal government has already booked more than three million doses at Pfizer / Biontech, as Health Minister Alain Berset (48) said on Wednesday: “The vaccine is very promising.”
“We need protection from the pack”
But even if the vaccine is soon available: nobody is obliged to vaccinate. Health Minister Alain Berset made it clear again this week. “There is no mandatory vaccination,” he said at a press conference, rejecting Roche’s manager Franz’s request even before he had voiced it.
Berset is based on the Law of Epidemics. It does say that the Federal Council can make vaccinations mandatory in the “special situation” we currently find ourselves in. However, only for particularly threatened population groups or, for example, health workers. Also, there must be a “considerable risk” to this, which would further limit a requirement.
Mandatory is not an obligation
It is also important that mandatory is not the same as mandatory: the Federal Office of Public Health has emphasized several times in the past that no one can be vaccinated against their will. According to the Epidemic Law, there can also be no penalties such as fines if someone refuses to be vaccinated. However, restrictions are possible for unvaccinated people, for example unvaccinated health workers can no longer work in certain departments. The federal government should only introduce the measure after hearing from the cantons.
The federal government, like Roche President Franz, expects the protection of the herd. The government is convinced, however, that it can achieve this without being mandatory. To get the corona virus under long-term control, Switzerland is aiming for a 60 percent vaccination rate, Berset said Wednesday. (dbn)
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