Italy Makes COVID-19 Vaccine Mandatory For All Health Workers

Italy’s government has mandated that all health workers in the country must have coronavirus jabs, in what is seen as a controversial move to push back against ‘no-vax’ sentiment.

Wednesday’s decree approved by Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s cabinet says health workers, including pharmacists, are required to undergo vaccination.

The decree also introduces legal protection for those who administer the shots, after medics were probed for manslaughter following the death of a vaccinated man in Sicily.

The government said in a statement that the aim of the measure is to protect as much as possible both medical and paramedical staff and those who are in environments that may be more exposed to the risk of infection.

Those who refuse could be suspended without pay for the rest of the year.

However government critics have questioned the legality of forcing only some categories of workers into having a vaccine.

Italy has an entrenched anti-vaccination movement and the recent discovery of clusters in hospitals after staff refused to have shots has reportedly sparked outcry.