Policy: State won't make vaccinations mandatory – Minister

The government does not intend to make Covid-19 vaccinations compulsory by law, Health Minister Joe Phaahla says. TimesLIVE reports that Phaahla was responding to a recent parliamentary question posed by the IFP. 'Government's approach is to invest in persuading people to see the life-saving value of vaccination,' said Phaahla. He said the focus was on making people realize its importance, rather than enforcing a law. The IFP also posed a question about workplace vaccinations, asking whether 'the mooted mandatory vaccination will be targeting some industries' and if 'government will allow the private sector to impose such mandatory requirements for Covid-19'. Phaahla said in his reply that 'while the state has no intention to make vaccination mandatory, we also have no intention to interfere in internal policies of private and independent institutions, including on public health policies'.