Compulsory vaccination for all adults and professionals in certain sectors was adopted in September.
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A decision made considering from “new health context”. New Caledonia put an end, Thursday, February 24, to the vaccination obligation, which had been decided at the beginning of September for professionals in certain sectors and the general population. The measure was adopted by the permanent committee of the Congress, with 8 votes out of 11, a part of the non-independence supporters having opposed it.
This decision comes after Caledonian elected officials had already twice postponed the deadlines for the deliberation on the vaccination obligation, voted unanimously on September 3. This introduced an obligation to vaccinate without sanction for the entire adult population and with sanction for professionals in sensitive sectors and people at risk. These sanctions were to apply on February 28, but caused controversy.
“There is a new health context in New Caledonia and in the world. We must give back to Caledonians the freedom of this choice of vaccination even if we are not opposed to it”, said Virginie Ruffenach. A total of 178,916 New Caledonians received two doses of vaccine (i.e. 66% of the total population) and 82,641 had a booster.
The Caledonian group together (Center-right) for his part deplored that this local repeal of the vaccination obligation also entails that imposed on any traveler wishing to come to New Caledonia. Legal work is underway to reorganize the health protocol on arrival (tests, confinement, etc.), the authorities said.