The British government has refused to rule out the notion of making Chinese coronavirus vaccines mandatory if it considers the voluntary administration of vaccines to be inadequate in slowing the spread of the virus.
On Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that, at present, the government is not “proposing” mandatory vaccinations but went on to say that he has learned “not to rule things out” adding: “We have to watch what happens and you have to make judgments accordingly.”
A government source told the British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph: “This is not our preferred option, we have always operated on the basis of educating people about vaccines to ensure a system of informed consent.”
“If there was an effective vaccine, and because of low uptake we were still seeing deaths in large numbers, then we would have to consider it,” the source warned.
Another government insider told the paper: “nothing could be ruled out” at the moment.
Following the announcement from the American biotechnology company Moderna that it has developed a vaccine for the Chinese virus with 94.5 per cent effectiveness, the British government announced that it had purchased some 5 million doses.
This would be enough to vaccinate 2.5 million Britons with the required two doses of the jab. The rollout for the vaccine is expected to be in the Spring of 2021 after it is approved by health authorities in the country.
Currently, vaccines are not mandatory in the UK, as the government allows people to make their own informed decisions on the matter.
A survey released on Monday by the British market research and data analytics firm YouGov found that 67 per cent of the public would be likely to take a vaccine, however, 21 per cent said they would be unlikely and a further 12 per cent said they were unsure.
Interestingly, just 2 per cent of those who said they were unlikely to take a vaccine were characterised as ‘anti-vaxxers’.
Meanwhile Health Secretary Matt Hancock criticised a group of National Health Service (NHS) nurses, doctors, and staff who created a Facebook group opposing mandatory vaccines, mask-wearing, and testing in hospitals.
The group, which is called NHS Workers for Choice, No Restrictions for Declining a Vaccine, has climbed to over 250 members in the past month alone.
One of the members, who works in a GP’s surgery, said that she would quit before joining the vaccination programme.
Amidst reports that healthcare workers may be vaccinated first, another member said: “NHS staff gone — all sick and old will be gone. NHS gone. Population under reconstruction. Welcome to the new world order.”
Hancock said that it was “entirely inappropriate” for NHS staff to join such a group.
“I wouldn’t advise it for anybody, because we don’t propose, and allow vaccines in this country, unless they pass some of the most stringent safety requirements in the world,” he told Times Radio.
“Getting a vaccine – whether it’s for flu or hopefully for coronavirus – is something that not only protects you but protects the people around you. So it’s a really important step,” he added.
Last week, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons, Tom Tugendhat MP said that he could foresee a future in Britain in which people will be forced to display vaccine certificates before entering into workplaces as well as pubs, restaurants, and other social venues.
“[I]f vaccination works and if we’re confident it’s safe, and all indications so far are good, then I can certainly see the day when businesses say: ‘Look, you’ve got to return to the office and if you’re not vaccinated you’re not coming in,’” Mr Tugendhat said.
“And I can certainly see social venues asking for vaccination certificates,” the top Tory MP added.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here: @KurtZindulka
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