The Reason Why The Covid-19 Vaccine Should Not be Mandatory

The COVID-19 virus outbreak was officially declared as global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. The rapid spread of COVID-19 and the dangers that will arise if it is not treated immediately, one very possible way to prevent the spread of this virus is by developing a vaccine.  

Based on a survey by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, WHO and UNICEF which was carried out in November 2020 with more than 112,000 respondents, it shows that only 64.8% are willing to be vaccinated. Moreover, 7.6% strongly reject the COVID vaccination and 27.6% expressed doubts. In the midst of the pros and cons of its acceptance in society, some people believe that a vaccine can break the chain of spreading the Corona virus so that it can return the world to a normal situation like it was before the pandemic. However, on the other hand, there are also many people who think that this vaccine should not be mandatory for various reasons.

The main reason for the rejection of mandatory vaccines is the existence of human rights that must be established. Many argue that if vaccines are mandatory and impose sanctions if refusing to be vaccinated, this actually violates human rights. Everyone has the right to determine whether it is good or not for themselves, especially in matters of health.  This is also supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), which says that they do not agree with state regulations that require the Corona vaccine. WHO considers that mandating corona vaccinations to every citizen will only create a boomerang that triggers them to be increasingly antipathic regarding the Covid-19 vaccine. As reported by CNN Indonesia, WHO said that convincing the public regarding the benefits of vaccines would be more effective in attracting people to want to be vaccinated rather than obliging the vaccine regulations.

In addition, not a few people are worried that the vaccine that will be given has side effects that will actually harm them. This COVID-19 vaccination action carried out by the government also looks too hasty.  As we know, making a vaccine is not easy and it takes a long time for this vaccine to be said to be suitable for use by people. Receiving an untested vaccine carries the risk of creating new health problems.  Even though they have passed the phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, they may be constrained or fail the phase 3 trial. Therefore, there are still many people who doubt the efficacy of this vaccine.

And lastly, other impacts that arise, one of which is the payment of the COVID-19 vaccine, which will lead to the commercialization of vaccine prices by hospitals as happened in the application of the PCR Swab test and the Rapid test. This will also create new problems in the community and reduce public trust to the government and the vaccine. As a result, many people will refuse to be vaccinated. Currently in Indonesia, public trust in COVID-19 is decreasing due to various issues regarding the hoax of the COVID-19 virus.  In addition, there are many hospitals that take advantage of the situation by forcing people to take a Swab test if they want to check their health or who want to carry out any treatment. With this, of course, the community is forced to pay for the swab test. If this happens in the implementation of vaccination later, it will have a bad impact. Those who initially wanted to break the chain of spreading the Corona virus, but instead made the public even less willing to be vaccinated.

However, most medical circles and WHO believe that vaccines are a solution that is expected to be able to be a preventive or mitigation effort to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.  But, it doesn't mean making vaccination mandatory is the right thing to do. The government should reconsider this matter, so that this vaccination can be realized properly. It would be better for the government to socialize the benefits of vaccines and be more open about the issue of vaccine implementation than punishing the public for refusing to be vaccinated.

Source:
Zein, Rizqy Amelia. (2021). 27% Penduduk Indonesia Masih Ragu Terhadap Vaksin COVID-19, Mengapa Penting Meyakinkan Mereka. www.theconversation.com. Retrievied March 5, 2021 from https://theconversation.com/27-penduduk-indonesia-masih-ragu-terhadap-vaksin-covid-19-mengapa-penting-meyakinkan-mereka-150172

Rahayu, Ulfa. (2020). Pro Kontra Rencana Vaksin COVID-19 di Indonesia. www.hellosehat.com. Retrievied March 5, 2021 from https://hellosehat.com/infeksi/covid19/rencana-vaksin-covid-19/

CNN Indonesia. (2021). WHO Sebut Tak Setuju Negara Wajibkan Vaksinasi COVID-19. www.cnnindonesia.com. Retrievied March 5, 2021 from https://m.cnnindonesia.com/internasional/20210113111735-134-593040/who-sebut-tak-setuju-negara-wajibkan-vaksinasi-covid