As new and more contagious variants continue to emerge, governments are faced with the increasingly pressuring challenge of maximizing the vaccination rates. Without a significant increase in the proportion of fully vaccinated people, the hopes of fast economic recovery remain low. Even more worrisome is the fact that the longer the virus keeps spreading, the greater are its odds of mutating into more contagious and deadly strains. The most recent strain Omicron, feared to be more contagious than all previous strains especially towards younger and previously recovered individuals, possibly emerged in South Africa, where low vaccination rates are primarily due to hesitancy among the population to receive vaccination rather than the lack of available vaccines. This hesitancy is a common challenge most governments face, and maximizing vaccination has therefore been a matter of vital significance that involves several complications and conflicts.

Last month, Austria became the first country in Europe to declare vaccines mandatory, motivated by having one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe and seeing a surge in infections among the unvaccinated. This decision led to widespread opposition. Tens of thousands gathered in protest, alleging that vaccines are harmful or ineffective and that vaccine mandates are a violation of personal liberties. Meanwhile, in countries such as Indonesia or Saudi Arabia, vaccination mandates were met with considerably less opposition. This is partly due to their acceptance of diminished individual freedom when it comes to collective interest. In Western countries where individual liberties are considered non-negotiable, there is a predictable predicament: either some individuals’ liberties to not be vaccinated must be restrained, or others’ rights to have their health and economic well-being safeguarded must be sacrificed. 

How then, should the conflict between the rights of different individuals be resolved? The ones who refuse to receive vaccination as an exercise of their individual freedom intentionally subject themselves to an enormously increased risk of serious illness and death. Data from nearly every country shows that vaccinated people are much less likely to suffer serious illness or death when contracting COVID. Cases of side effects from the vaccines are astonishingly low compared to the chance of serious illness or death without the vaccine. Moreover, the unvaccinated individuals contribute to prolonging the pandemic, and the possibility of new variant strains of the virus. Given that overwhelming consensus of experts is in strong favor of vaccination, and that not receiving vaccination risks putting lives and livelihoods of others at considerable risk, the consequence of the decision to not get vaccinated should be borne by them as well. For instance, access to medical care, public transportation, or other public facilities should be prioritized for vaccinated individuals to encourage vaccination and protect the vaccinated (There is, of course, the exception of those unable to receive the vaccine due to health conditions).

However, governments must acknowledge that vaccine mandates will have undesirable consequences too, such as decreased public trust in medical and state institutions, and widening socio-political divisions. That said, mandates should not be the primary mechanism of encouraging vaccination. In this regard, Spain provides a good example. It has the highest vaccination rate among all G20 countries, with more than four-fifths of the population fully vaccinated, which was accomplished without resorting to mandates. Instead, they combated anti-vaccine disinformation and took measures to increase public trust in the healthcare system. Indeed, each country may need to establish a unique plan to deal with its specific situation, but Spain’s case shows that a lot can be accomplished even without mandates. Mandates would become necessary only when other policies do not prove fruitful. For instance, obtaining an appointment for receiving the vaccine is a complicated and time-consuming process in many countries; simplifying this process can be a key step in this direction. However, when it is decided that mandates are needed, every effort should be made to carry them out in the most cautious manner to minimize the negative consequences.

Vaccine mandates raise some fundamental points pertaining to the rights and duties of both the citizenry and the government. Those who disregard scientific consensus and refuse to be vaccinated endanger the welfare and safety of others, especially the most vulnerable. They further heighten the socioeconomic divides and politicize a matter of public well-being. Therefore, it becomes the duty of a government to consider all available options to maximize the number of vaccines administered, including the possibility and need of making vaccination obligatory for all eligible persons.