This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 6, 2021 - December 12, 2021

When discussions surrounding making Covid-19 vaccination mandatory first cropped up, some experts had warned that the move could backfire and fuel further distrust of and resistance to vaccines. Governments, they said, should instead step up communication and present evidence of vaccines being the world’s way out of the pandemic to convince sceptics rather than forcing them on people.

Now, coming to one year since the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the first Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use and with more than 54% of the world’s population already getting at least one dose, would giving more time and evidence really change the views of people who remain unconvinced close to two years after Covid-19 was declared a pandemic?

Governments that have begun to make vaccination mandatory in recent months either think not or have decided to cut to the chase.

Austria, which has a 66% vaccination rate, on Nov 18 said Covid-19 vaccines will be compulsory from Feb 1. Last Thursday (Dec 2), Germany, with a 68% vaccination rate, banned unvaccinated people from all non-essential businesses, including restaurants and theatres, and outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel said legislation to make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory would be drafted for vote by February. France has a vaccine pass to access public venues. Indonesia made jabs compulsory in February. In August, Saudi Arabia made it compulsory for workers to be vaccinated and is barring unvaccinated 12-year-olds from school.

Those who are for mandatory vaccination say it does not violate human rights because the move is to protect public health and safety. Your right to choose whether to take the vaccine ends when it affects other people’s right to live and be healthy.

Malaysia is fortunate to have close to 78% of the population and 97% of adults vaccinated but needs to remain vigilant in the face of new variants like Omicron that could spread even faster and threaten lives and its nascent economic recovery. On Dec 3, the Ministry of Health confirmed the presence of the Omicron variant in Malaysia in a foreign student who entered the country on Nov 19.

While booster shots are not yet mandatory in Malaysia, that should change if the data shows the need for them. Studies here show that Sinovac accounted for 59.1% of breakthrough cases between Sept 28 and Oct 11, and Pfizer, 37.5%. Singapore is making a third dose mandatory for those taking Sinovac-CoronaVac or Sinopharm vaccines by Dec 31 or they risk losing their fully vaccinated status. If boosters are deemed necessary, wouldn’t making vaccination mandatory be a natural conclusion?

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