(Paris) While a vaccination certificate is required in an increasing number of countries for certain activities or target populations, few States impose vaccination on all, a measure that must remain “absolute last resort” according to the WHO.
Overview, not exhaustive, of the vaccine obligation against COVID-19 in the world.
Required for adults: only a handful of countries
Austria is the first EU country to want to impose vaccination on all its adults. The measure, announced in November, will take effect in early February. It aims to counter vaccination rates that are too low (67.6% of the population vaccinated on December 6) to slow down the epidemic wave. In addition, the country, which will deconfin itself on Monday, will maintain its travel restrictions for the unvaccinated only.
In Germany, the Parliament will examine by the end of the year a law requiring the vaccination of the whole population, again to stem the epidemic outbreak. At 1er December, 68.9% of the German population was vaccinated.
Prior to that, two authoritarian Central Asian states, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, in July announced compulsory vaccination for those over 18.
In Indonesia, the anti-COVID-19 vaccination has been mandatory since February 2021, under penalty of sanction, in theory. In fact, the vaccination campaign is struggling to convince: only 35% of Indonesians were vaccinated in 1er December.
In the Pacific, the Federal State of Micronesia also announced, in July 2021, compulsory vaccination for those over 18.
A French territory in the South Pacific with wide autonomy, New Caledonia has made vaccination compulsory for all adults from the end of December. As of November 26, 73% of New Caledonians over 12 were fully vaccinated.
Mandatory for certain categories
Vaccination obligations for certain professional categories have multiplied all over the world.
In the United States, President Joe Biden announced on September 9 compulsory vaccination for 100 million workers, federal government officials and private sector employees. But the measure was suspended in November by federal justice pending a judgment on the merits.
In New York, all employees in the private sector will be subject to compulsory vaccination from December 27, the mayor announced on Monday.
In France, the vaccination obligation applies to staff in hospitals, retirement homes, firefighters, ambulance workers and home helpers, since September 15.
In French Polynesia, the vaccination obligation will be imposed from December 23 to all people working in contact with the public.
In Greece, vaccination became compulsory for nursing home staff on August 16 and for caregivers on August 1er September. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also announced at the end of November the vaccination obligation for all over 60 years old from the beginning of 2022.
In Italy, healthcare workers have been forced to be vaccinated since the end of May and nursing home staff since October 10.
In England, nursing home workers have been asked to be fully immunized by mid-November and public service caregivers from April 2022.
In some countries, the vaccination obligation is not limited to caregivers, officials or employees in contact with the public, but to all types of employees.
This has been the case in Hungary since the end of October, where any company can require its employees to be vaccinated.
Strong restrictions for the unvaccinated
In a growing number of countries vaccination is not compulsory, but restrictions for the unvaccinated are very dissuasive.
Saudi Arabia banned since 1er August 2021 for non-vaccinated access to “any private or government place” as well as to public transport. In addition, only the vaccinated can travel outside the country.
In Italy, unvaccinated people can no longer go to the cinema, the theater, concerts or major sporting events since Monday.
In Germany, access to certain cultural and leisure activities and to part of the shops will be reserved only for vaccinated people, Berlin announced in early December.