Covid-19: Ursula von der Leyen wants a discussion on compulsory vaccination
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the EU headquarters in Brussels, December 1, 2021. AFP - KENZO TRIBOUILLARD
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Faced with the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases, the question of compulsory vaccination is increasingly raised.
This Wednesday, December 1, the European Commission estimated that a discussion "
should take place
" on this subject in the Member States of the EU.
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Scheduled for in Austria, compulsory vaccination is under discussion in
Germany
.
This Wednesday afternoon, it was the subject of a statement by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, during a press conference devoted to the pandemic and the very contagious Omicron variant.
: “
It's a discussion that I think needs to be conducted.
"
This is not an official recommendation, but the Commission is pushing vaccines even more strongly since the arrival of Omicron. “
If you ask me for my personal opinion,
” continued the head of the European executive, “
we have vaccines, vaccines which can save lives, but which are not used adequately everywhere. Today 77% of adults are vaccinated in the European Union or if you take the total population, it's 66%. This means that a third of the European population is not vaccinated, which makes 150 million people. It's a lot.
"
At a time when the patients who die from Covid-19 are overwhelmingly unvaccinated, the rate of injections is, according to Ursula von der Leyen, too slow in Europe.
She is careful not to make a formal proposal, but she asserts that she considers it legitimate and reasonable to have a discussion at 27 on the possibility of compulsory vaccination.
The arrival of Omicron has caused a major setback in the Commission's plans, underlines our correspondent in Brussels,
Pierre Benazet
.
She advocated the removal in Europe of travel restrictions linked to green, orange and red zones that could lead to quarantine or testing obligations.
Instead, she wanted everything to depend on vaccination and having the European health pass.
Common approach
The commission strongly pushes the vaccines which are in a way part of its rare prerogatives in health matters.
She therefore makes sure to support anything that can promote vaccination campaigns.
“
Not everyone can be vaccinated, for example very young children or people with special medical problems, but the vast majority could,”
emphasizes Ursula von der Leyen.
So I think it's understandable and legitimate to have this discussion now: how can we encourage vaccination and potentially consider an obligation in the European Union?
There needs to be a common approach, but it is a question that must be asked.
"
Omicron spreads in Europe
Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and Belgium are affected by the new Omicron variant.
This Wednesday noon, the French health authorities have identified 13 suspected cases of variant contamination.
France must also face a strong wave of contamination.
"
The health situation is worsening very clearly, and very quickly on our territory
", insisted the spokesman of the government Gabriel Attal, noting a "massive resumption of the epidemic" with this Tuesday, November 30 "
a level never reached since spring
”.
Result: Paris has decided to tighten the conditions of access to its territory and to impose in particular for all travelers coming from a country outside the European Union, a negative test of less than 48 hours, "
that these travelers are vaccinated or not
”.
For travelers from EU countries, France will impose a 24-hour test for non-vaccinated people.
►
To read also: Omicron: France imposes a PCR test on any traveler, even vaccinated, arriving from a country outside the EU
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European Union
Ursula von der leyen
Coronavirus
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