The future government said it will immediately cancel the current health ministry’s measures for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination from March 2022 for people over 60 and doctors, nurses and police officers as soon as it assumes power.
It said it would do so immediately after it assumes power.
“The future health minister will cancel this order, we do not agree with that,” said Marian Jurečka, leader of KDU-ČSL party (EPP) that is expected to be part of the future governing coalition.
According to Jurečka, the current caretaker government has not used all the available tools to motivate people to get vaccinated.
“We will not impose mandatory vaccination for specific age groups. Regarding certain professions, we want to hear from representatives of the unions,” Jurečka told Czech Television.
The future government is worried that police officers, healthcare professionals and other crucial workers would quit their job rather than get vaccinated.
Still, the caretaker government is convinced that such a step is necessary in the current situation. According to the current Social Affairs Minister Jana Maláčová, the plan of the future government to cancel the mandatory vaccination order is “boundless populism”.
“In social services, vaccination against hepatitis is mandatory, but against COVID, it is suddenly not acceptable. It does not make any sense,” Maláčová said.
The Czech vaccination rate lags behind the EU average, with approximately 60% of the Czech population fully vaccinated.
