Should employers have the right to demand that the person to be employed be vaccinated against covid-19? That question is currently highly topical in several countries. In the United States, the debate is raging after President Biden's decision this week on vaccine requirements for employees in healthcare, in the state and in larger private companies. In France, September 15 is the last date to get vaccinated for everyone who works in hospitals or social facilities, in order to continue to perform their jobs. All home care staff must be vaccinated, as must all students at French universities and colleges. In Italy, too, healthcare workers are required to be vaccinated, otherwise they may not work directly with patients. Dalarna recently decided to investigate whether it can be demanded that those who are to be newly employed in health care must be vaccinated.The investigation should be completed at the beginning of next year.

The protection against forced physical interventions such as taking a vaccine injection is enshrined in the Swedish constitution.

No one can be forced to get vaccinated.

The employer also has no right to see vaccination registers or medical records.

But the question is whether the employer can demand vaccination before a new employment or relocate an employee who chooses not to be vaccinated?

The Swedish Medical Ethics Council (Smer) recently concluded that health and care staff have a moral obligation to vaccinate against covid-19. That conclusion is based on the patient being dependent, the patient, compared to the staff who are healthy. "The patient, patient or patient's interests in minimizing the risk of infection outweigh the staff's individual choice to vaccinate or not," says Mikael Sandlund, expert at Smer and chairman of the Swedish Medical Association's ethics delegation.

The political parties have - at national level - been reluctant to debate this issue in Agenda's studio.

All parties emphasize that no employee can be forced to be vaccinated.

But the question of whether the employer's ability to demand vaccination is at the same time complex and cannot be easily answered with a yes or no, is a common view from the parties.

Agenda has met politicians and healthcare employees in Dalarna in a report.

Two opinion journalists come to our studio for a debate. 

Hanne Kjöller

 who is an independent columnist in Dagens Nyheter and himself works in healthcare and 

Anders Lindberg

, political editor-in-chief at Aftonbladet.