Italy could potentially make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for everyone of legal age and plans to give booster vaccinations to those at risk later this month, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said.
The government has already made vaccination compulsory for medical workers if they want to get paid, but Draghi said people could be forced to get vaccinated if vaccines are fully approved by EU health officials.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has conditionally approved four vaccines. After additional checks, this could be upgraded to a so-called standard authorization for placing on the market. In that case, Draghi said, they could become mandatory for everyone.
Such a move would likely generate fierce opposition in a country where skepticism about all types of vaccines has increased over the past decade, and where the health professionals who promoted the vaccines have faced challenges, verbal abuse and threats from opponents of vaccines.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.