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talkpoliticsThe German minister of health Jens Spahn is categorically against granting special privileges to people who've undergone Covid immunization. His argument: no one should be given special treatment until everyone has been given a chance to get the vaccine.
Other German federal ministers like the minister of the interior Horst Seehoffer have reiterated this position, promising that the government won't allow special privileges for the immunized. Otherwise the result would effectively be compulsory vaccination. And no one should be forced to do it.
These concerns have appeared after a number of private companies, particularly air carriers, have stated their intentions to only allow access to customers who have the vaccine. The official position of the European governments so far is that such special privileges could neither be properly enforced and controlled, nor would they be justified.
However, the chairman of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery (also a German) does believe that in the longer term, people who've undergone Covid immunization could end up having special privileges. Of course, as of now, since the vaccine is still not readily accessible to everyone, such approach is unacceptable. But later, when all humankind has had a chance to get the vaccine, and more or less everything becomes known about the resulting immunity, the relevant policies could begin to change.
There are such examples from the time of the yellow fever immunization. Many countries also require compulsory vaccination for measles for access to kindergarten.
In the meantime, German information portal RND reports that no definite answer could yet be given from a medical standpoint if it would make sense to give those with the vaccine special treatment related to those without. The tests known to science so far indicate that vaccinated people tend to get 90% protection against Covid. But granting them special privileges would only make sense if it could be demonstrated with a similar certainty that they wouldn't be contagious to other people.
Robert Koch research data shows that there's no certain evidence for or against such assumption as of yet. And this is valid for all three major vaccines that are getting distributed around the world.
There's much better information regarding other well-known vaccines like the one against measles - it's been established that this one prevents spreading the infection. So, if the Covid one is proven to not only grant immunity but also block the further spreading of the disease, those who've got the vaccine could demand that the pandemic restrictions be eliminated for them.
There are certain constitutional grounds for granting them that wish, at least in most developed countries, since the state could only suspend essential civil rights to an extent and time that is necessary, and not any further.
On the other hand, there are legal arguments in favor of treating both categories the same way - like preventing a division in society that such a policy would inevitably create. In other words, such a decision should be carefully reviewed from all possible standpoints. As for the legal ways to formulate it, national legislatures have all the tools to do it, like, for example, include it in the respective law about nationwide measures against infectious pandemics.
By the way, as the first vaccinations have started around the world, the first hoaxes involving fake vaccines and test are already in place as well. Criminal entrepreneurs are flooding the market with purported vaccines, while anti-vaxxers are inundating the social networks with hysterial false claims about the vaccines. So I suggest you guys be careful.
Other German federal ministers like the minister of the interior Horst Seehoffer have reiterated this position, promising that the government won't allow special privileges for the immunized. Otherwise the result would effectively be compulsory vaccination. And no one should be forced to do it.
These concerns have appeared after a number of private companies, particularly air carriers, have stated their intentions to only allow access to customers who have the vaccine. The official position of the European governments so far is that such special privileges could neither be properly enforced and controlled, nor would they be justified.
However, the chairman of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery (also a German) does believe that in the longer term, people who've undergone Covid immunization could end up having special privileges. Of course, as of now, since the vaccine is still not readily accessible to everyone, such approach is unacceptable. But later, when all humankind has had a chance to get the vaccine, and more or less everything becomes known about the resulting immunity, the relevant policies could begin to change.
There are such examples from the time of the yellow fever immunization. Many countries also require compulsory vaccination for measles for access to kindergarten.
In the meantime, German information portal RND reports that no definite answer could yet be given from a medical standpoint if it would make sense to give those with the vaccine special treatment related to those without. The tests known to science so far indicate that vaccinated people tend to get 90% protection against Covid. But granting them special privileges would only make sense if it could be demonstrated with a similar certainty that they wouldn't be contagious to other people.
Robert Koch research data shows that there's no certain evidence for or against such assumption as of yet. And this is valid for all three major vaccines that are getting distributed around the world.
There's much better information regarding other well-known vaccines like the one against measles - it's been established that this one prevents spreading the infection. So, if the Covid one is proven to not only grant immunity but also block the further spreading of the disease, those who've got the vaccine could demand that the pandemic restrictions be eliminated for them.
There are certain constitutional grounds for granting them that wish, at least in most developed countries, since the state could only suspend essential civil rights to an extent and time that is necessary, and not any further.
On the other hand, there are legal arguments in favor of treating both categories the same way - like preventing a division in society that such a policy would inevitably create. In other words, such a decision should be carefully reviewed from all possible standpoints. As for the legal ways to formulate it, national legislatures have all the tools to do it, like, for example, include it in the respective law about nationwide measures against infectious pandemics.
By the way, as the first vaccinations have started around the world, the first hoaxes involving fake vaccines and test are already in place as well. Criminal entrepreneurs are flooding the market with purported vaccines, while anti-vaxxers are inundating the social networks with hysterial false claims about the vaccines. So I suggest you guys be careful.
(no subject)
Date: 28/12/20 17:22 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 28/12/20 19:00 (UTC)1. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.
The idea that neither Constitution nor Charter should ever be perverted into a suicide pact still makes sense to me.
(no subject)
Date: 28/12/20 21:51 (UTC)I'm thinking this was intentional, as it'd have been pretty easy to test how many of those inoculated became infected, and it would seem like an important thing to find out. With the antibody test, it'd be an easy thing to figure out now.
I expect as soon as everyone who can get inoculated has had the chance, this information will become available. I'd also expect a lot of people have good ideas that the vaccine actually does prevent infection. Otherwise, if all it does is to prevent severe cases, why are they using scarce vaccines on a bunch of 30 something health care workers who rarely develop severe cases?
(no subject)
Date: 28/12/20 23:47 (UTC)Maybe...a choice of $1000 or a 2% tax break?
Seems like one of the few times throwing money at a problem could have a chance of success.