France’s National Academy of Medicine has called for covid-19 vaccinations to be made compulsory for a number of professions and all children.
The academy said that wearing masks and social distancing will be insufficient to cope with Winter covid waves and new variants. In a statement which was headlined, “Obligation is not a bad word,” the academy claimed that vaccinating essential workers alongside adolescents and children, is the only way to reach herd immunity.
Christine Rouzioux (pictured), a professor of virology at Paris-Descartes university, and a member of the National Academy of Medicine, told RFI:
“We believe there are a certain number of people who are reticent, up to 30 per cent of the population. And 70 per cent immunity is not enough in the face of new variants.”
She said that personal liberty is irrelevant:
“There are mandatory vaccines. It’s a decision to protect the population. It’s not a privation of liberty. Vaccinations are individual and collective protections.”
Rouzioux went on to say:
“Imposing it on students would assure a normal university school year. It is true that young people have trouble understanding the need to vaccinate, as they get less sick than older people.
I understand it. But the virus circulates among young people and adolescents. As long as the vaccine is largely accessible, we should take advantage of it rather than act against it.”
The National Academy of Medicine wants to “impose” the vaccines on students and children. What happens when the parents of those children refuse? Will they be rounded up and transferred to a vaccination centre? How else would you mandate it?
So far, the French government has ruled out mandating the jabs, but give it time.