Vaccine Mandates Should Be A Last Resort

Only two countries in the world - Tajikistan and Turkmenistan - have made COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for all adults. But many other countries have also made vaccinations mandatory for some people, such as healthcare workers, nursing home staff, or employees working in high-risk jobs. Here in Malaysia, we’re seeing more discussions about mandatory vaccinations, especially after the Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said that employers may mandate their employees to get vaccinated, and the Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin also encourages sectoral mandates if they aren’t against the law. But how should employers, or even policymakers, come to make that decision? At what point, can vaccine mandates be considered? We discuss with lawyer and academician Munita Kaur.