Solon wants COVID-19 vaccine mandatory to qualified recipients

A lawmaker on Wednesday filed a bill that seeks to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory to all "eligible" residents of the Philippines. 

House Bill 10249 or An Act Providing for Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccine for All Filipino Citizens Eligible to Receive the Vaccine and Appropriating Funds Therefor -- filed by San Jose del Monte Representative Rida Robes -- mandates the vaccination to all Filipinos and residents of the Philippines who are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine.

Under the measure, those with conflicting religious belief or with medical conditions that will make vaccination detrimental to his/her health, as certified by a duly-licensed physician, are deemed exempted from this mandatory inoculation.

Likewise, it stated that all expenses for the COVID-19 vaccines shall be fully subsidized by the government. The bill further said private companies may also procure vaccines for their employees and that the vaccines must be given for free.

Robes said "it is [common] for governments and institutions to implement mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 and that it can be considered ethically justified in order to protect the health and well-being of the public."

“We have Republic Act 10152, which is an act providing for the mandatory basic immunization services for infants and children, and Republic Act 7846 which requires compulsory immunization against Hepatitis-B for infants and children below eight-years-old," Robes said.

"In the face of worldwide pandemic that is ravaging our country, it is crucial to implement a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination program for people who are eligible to get the vaccines in order to protect ourselves and our families, [and] enable us to regain our economic foothold and resume our lives,” she added.

Meanwhile, the proposed law includes an anti-discrimination clause which prohibits discrimination against those who refuse to get vaccinated for religious belief or health reason or cause the loss of their employment or enrollment in any educational institution.

A vaccine pass must also be given to those who have been fully-inoculated as proof that may be presented to get access to any public tourism resort, accommodation, assembly or amusement center.

Those who have no valid reason to refuse vaccination shall be imposed a penalty of imprisonment of up to 30days and/or a fine of P10,000.

Over 18 million Filipinos have so far been vaccinated against COVID-19 since the national inoculation program started on March 1, the Department of Health said. —LBG, GMA News