By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (Sunday 25th April 2021) — The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued guidelines on 13 April 2021 for states considering making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory, calling for a balanced approach that respects individual liberty while pursuing public health goals. The guidelines state: “Because policies that mandate an action or behaviour interfere with individual liberty and autonomy, they should seek to balance communal well-being with individual liberties.”
The WHO identified six ethical considerations: (i) vaccine necessity and proportionality; (ii) sufficient evidence of vaccine safety; (iii) sufficient evidence of vaccine efficacy and effectiveness; (iv) sufficient supply of vaccines; (v) public trust in vaccines; and (vi) ethical processes of local decision-making. On necessity and proportionality, the WHO stated: “If such a public health goal can be achieved with less coercive or intrusive policy interventions (e.g., public education), a mandate would not be ethically justified.”
The WHO further advised that even where mandatory vaccination is deemed necessary, “individual liberties should not be challenged for longer than necessary” and policy-makers should “frequently re-evaluate the mandate to ensure it remains necessary and proportionate.” Health policymakers were asked to review efficacy and safety data and make them publicly available, not simply rely on blanket statements that benefits outweigh risks. On the general public, the WHO said a mandate would be “rare” and cautioned that “mandatory vaccination should not exacerbate inequity for the most vulnerable or marginalised.” The WHO concluded that transparency and stepwise decision-making, including engagement of affected parties, are essential elements of any ethical mandate. St. Kitts and Nevis is a member of the World Health Organisation.