The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
As Austria announced today that it will go into its fourth nationwide lockdown amid soaring cases of Covid-19 infections, the Alpine country will also become the first European country to make vaccinations against Covid 19 mandatory starting in February 2022.
Asked by journalists at a press briefing at the United Nations in Geneva whether vaccinations should be compulsory, Fadela Chaibe, the spokesperson of the World Health Organization (WHO) said “No, immunization policies are decided within the national domain. It is up to countries to decide. WHO guidance aims to demonstrate the benefits and safety of vaccines for the greatest possible acceptance of vaccines rather than impose mandatory vaccination. So, this is the official WHO position.”
Austria, a country of 8.9 million, has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe — only 65.7% of the population are fully vaccinated.
Elizabeth Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) emphasized that “the requirement that states employ should be the least intrusive option to achieve the desired results”. She added that “they really should use all measures available to encourage people to get vaccinated in the first place. That includes public information campaigns and particular those aimed at communities and groups that are marginalized or have a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy. We would say that that is important. Obviously, Austria has decided to proceed to mandatory vaccination.”
Earlier this month, Austria introduced rules that barred unvaccinated people from restaurants.
According to WHO’s Fadela Chaib, “countries should really take a risk-based approach to make a decision in curbing the transmission of Covid based on assessment of their own epidemiological situation.”
She added that “it has some, as I said, ethical, human rights implications. So, countries should look at this very closely and take into consideration also groups of people who cannot get vaccinated because of any medical condition. Or, they do not have access to a vaccine, this is also a situation where people want to get vaccinated, but they don’t have access to vaccines.”
WHO’s spokesperson also stressed that “the solution is not only in the hands of governments, it’s also the individual behavior to try to curb down the number of Covid and to reduce transmission.”
OHCHR’s Liz Throssells also refers to the principles of international human rights law where restrictions must be necessary, proportionate and non-discriminatory.
“Restrictions must be based on law that is in force and publicly accessible”, Ms Throssell said. ‘Necessary’ and what we mean by that is that be that restrictions or the actions taken must be necessary to achieve a legitimate aim and, in this case, we are talking about public health. And they must respond to a pressing social need. So obviously the context of this is rising covid cases in some countries. ‘Proportionate’: the action must be proportionate to the interest at stake, proportionate to achieve its aim and it should be the least intrusive option among those that could be achieved. And this is really an important final point here is ‘non-discriminatory’.”
While countries including Italy and France have made vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory for health workers, Austria will be the first country in Europe to apply such a requirement for the society at large.
-ends-
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations flags flying.
- Medium-wide shot, inside the press conference room, showing speakers and participants.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Fadela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “Is vaccination mandatory? No. Immunization policies are decided within the national domain. It is up to countries to decide. WHO guidance aims to demonstrate the benefits and safety of vaccines for the greatest possible acceptance of vaccines rather than impose mandatory vaccination. So, this is the official WHO position.”
- Close shot, journalists seated and masked, listening to the press briefing, a TV screen in the background showing a speaker.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The requirement that states employ the least intrusive option to achieve the desired results. I mean, again, they really should use all measures available to encourage people to get vaccinated in the first place. That includes public information campaigns and particular those aimed at communities and groups that are marginalized or have a higher rate of vaccine hesitancy. We would say that that is important. Obviously, Austria has decided to proceed to mandatory vaccination.”
- Close -up, a participant taking notes of the press conference.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Fadela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “Countries should really take a risk-based approach to make a decision in curbing the transmission of Covid based on assessment of their own epidemiological situation.”
- Close-up, journalists seated and masked, attending the meeting.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Fadela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “It has some, as I said, ethical, human rights implications. So, countries should look at this very closely and take into consideration also groups of people who cannot get vaccinated because of any medical condition. Or, they do not have access to a vaccine, this is also a situation where people want to get vaccinated, but they don’t have access to vaccines.”
- Close shot of the face of one of the journalists.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Fadela Chaib, Spokesperson, World Health Organization (WHO): “The solution is not only in the hands of governments it’s also the individual behavior to try to curb down the number of Covid and to reduce transmission.”
- Close shot, a technician supervises the briefing on Zoom.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Elizabeth Throssell, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “Restrictions must be based on law that is in force and publicly accessible. ‘Necessary’ and what we mean by that is that be that restrictions or the actions taken must be necessary to achieve a legitimate aim and, in this case, we are talking about public health. And they must respond to a pressing social need. So obviously the context of this is rising covid cases in some countries. ‘Proportionate’: the action must be proportionate to the interest at stake, proportionate to achieve its aim and it should be the least intrusive option among those that could be achieved. And this is really an important final point here is ‘non-discriminatory’.”
- Close shot, a journalist, masked, standing in the press conference room
- Close shot, participants attending the meeting.
- Medium shot, a technician supervises the briefing on Zoom while a TV screen shows two speakers in the background.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following comment on the killing of journalists in Gaza at the bi-weekly press briefing.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday called on Egyptian authorities to end the practice known as “rotation”, which allows Government critics to be held arbitrarily and for prolonged periods.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on deadly attacks by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNITED NATIONS , WFP , WHO
Gaza: Famine “irrefutably” confirmed, UN humanitarians unite in plea for aid access
Famine has been confirmed in Gaza Governorate by the world’s top authority on food security and will spread further within the Strip unless fighting stops and much more aid is allowed in, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on the eighth anniversary of military assault on the Rohingya in Myanmar
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence on the declared famine in Gaza Governorate
3
36
1
2
Edited News , Statements , Images , Conferences | HRC , OCHA , UNOG
A record 383 aid workers were killed last year with hundreds more wounded, kidnapped and detained, the UN’s top aid official said on Tuesday in a call for accountability, at a solemn ceremony in Geneva to mark World Humanitarian Day.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following statement at today’s biweekly press briefing in Geneva:
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
“In Gaza, the Israeli army has intensified its attacks in the north of the strip,” UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told the biweekly press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , OCHA
Gaza: Aid insufficient to avert ‘widespread starvation’ as Israeli military ramp-up forces more people to flee
The small trickle of aid entering Gaza is totally insufficient to alleviate starvation and displacement in the Strip, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Hospitals continue to overflow with people injured while seeking food - WHO
As besieged Palestinian civilians face widespread malnutrition and starvation, hospitals in the Strip are increasingly overwhelmed by the influx of victims of shootings and other injuries at food distribution areas, warns the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , WHO , UNMAS
Urgent help is needed to halt a deadly cholera outbreak that is sweeping across Sudan, UN agencies said on Friday, while warning that communities continue to be terrorized by parties to the conflict even as they flee violence.