Mandatory Covid-19 vaccination is not government’s priority
The Health Minister made the remarks as South Africans are currently debating about mandatory vaccination.
HEALTH Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, says the question on whether government should issue a legislation or regulation on mandatory Covid-19 vaccination, is currently not among its priorities.
He highlighted that the government’s strategy is to speak to people, address their fears, and be able to deal with those fears so that “they can come on their own accord and receive the vaccination”.
“The position of government is very clear. Our priority is to mobilise and convince people to come forward voluntarily and take the vaccine, [and] that’s really the main thrust of our strategy,” Phaahla said.
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Phaahla made the remarks as South Africans are currently debating about mandatory vaccination.
The Minister said that while government is not oblivious of the debate, it has been left to the industry and employer.
“The question will always be, is there a way in which either, as an employer or as a provider of services, you can determine a policy to say, “in my restaurant only those who are vaccinated would be allowed” [and] that’s really a societies matter, which must be debated out there and the service providers, employers must work within the law.
“If the law allows that, the debate must carry on, but at this stage it’s not our priority to even start thinking about some kind of legislation or regulation which is every adult must vaccinate that’s not our priority. We want to just observe [but] we are not going to get involved. We will leave it with industries,” Phaahla said.
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