Corona pandemic: Where to vaccinate for whom is already compulsory

Hardly any country has so far introduced a general compulsory vaccination, this usually only affects certain professional groups. In some countries, however, the restrictions for unvaccinated people are so great that de facto vaccination is mandatory. An overview.

Compulsory vaccination for certain groups

In France, all employees in hospitals, old people’s or nursing homes must be vaccinated by September 15th at the latest. At the same time, access to the interior of restaurants, bars, cinemas or theaters is made more difficult for those who are not immunized. But also in trains and airplanes, shopping centers or hospitals, a health passport will be mandatory from August, which provides information about a vaccination, a survived corona infection or a negative test.

Greece has also announced compulsory vaccination. According to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, it will apply from mid-August for employees in old people’s homes and from September 1 for the health sector.

In Italy, doctors and other medical personnel have been obliged to immunize since May 25th. Otherwise, they face a ban from working with patients. Around 300 victims have sued against this condition, and a court hearing is planned for Wednesday.

The UK government announced on June 16 that all retirement home workers must be fully vaccinated. The vaccination requirement therefore also applies to hairdressers and other service providers as well as volunteers. The measure has yet to be approved by Parliament.

Professional soldiers in Latvia who are not fully vaccinated by August 1 risk being released.

General vaccination for all adults

In the smallest country in the world, the Vatican, compulsory vaccination was introduced for all residents and employees there on February 8th. Theoretically, the penalties for a violation extend to dismissal.

In Central Asian Tajikistan there is a government decree according to which everyone over the age of 18 must be vaccinated against the coronavirus. However, there are no more detailed provisions for implementing this mandatory vaccination.

Turkmenistan, also in Central Asia, announced on July 7th that it would be compulsory to have a corona vaccination for all residents over the age of 18 “without medical contraindications”. The largely isolated country is one of the few countries in the world that has not yet officially reported a single corona case.

De facto mandatory vaccination through restrictions

Saudi Arabia announced that from August only those who have been vaccinated will be allowed access to government and private facilities, including educational and entertainment venues. The same applies to using public transport – and returning to work.

In the province of Balochistan in Pakistan, all non-vaccinated persons have been banned from government offices, shopping centers and parks since July 1, nor are they allowed to use public transport. In Sindh Province officials are no longer paid if they refuse to be vaccinated. The province of Punjab threatened all those who refused to be vaccinated to cut the telephone line.

Regionally limited coercive measures

The Californian city of San Francisco announced at the end of June that its around 35,000 employees would have to be vaccinated, otherwise disciplinary measures including dismissal could be imposed. However, this requirement will not come into effect until the vaccines are fully approved.

In Texas, one of the largest hospitals in Texas has either quit or fired over 150 employees after refusing to be vaccinated.

Russia’s head of state Vladimir Putin has spoken out against compulsory vaccination across the country on several occasions, but there are local measures: On June 16, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin ordered a kind of compulsory vaccination for the service sector. Around 60 percent of employees, around two million people, must be vaccinated by August 15. In St. Petersburg and other areas, the authorities introduced similar requirements.