The person has the right to choose what vaccine to be administered, but their decision should be taken based on reliable information about the benefits and side effects of the vaccine. Regrettably, a strategy for informing the people about the vaccines imported into the country wasn’t worked out, PPPDA MP Liviu Vovc stated in IPN’s public debate “Vaccination: paid or free, voluntary or mandatory, with or without a choice?”.
According to the MP, the population should take into account the state’s possibilities of bringing the vaccine and should realize that 1 million doses of vaccine will not be shipped at once. The persons should be able to register beforehand for vaccination, for example on the platform vaccinare.gov.md, where they could also indicate the preferences for the type of vaccine. This way the authorities would know the areas where there is greater opposition to the vaccine and would concentrate additional information efforts thee.
The MP considers vaccination should take place by persuasion, not by constraint. The institutions now do not have a well-planned communication plan centering on the importance of vaccination for the people and this is a problem now. Communicators should be engaged in drafting this plan and in informing the population.
Liviu Vovc said solutions should be combined so as to vaccinate as many people as possible. First of all, the state should find solutions to purchase vaccines against COVID-19. The involvement of the private sector in the vaccination of the population by covering the price of the vaccine is also a solution. Or the vaccine could be administered for money to those who can afford it. But strict regulations are needed in this regard so that vaccination does not become a business, but is a good intention to help the state and the citizens to step up vaccination.
The MP also said that experts, not politicians should pronounce on the immunization and pandemic containing plan. The immunization plan was thought up by specialists, but the vaccination capacity is a big issue. This aspect should be considered so that more persons and companies are involved and the population is vaccinated in a large number.
The public debate “Vaccination: paid or free, voluntary or mandatory, with or without a choice?” is the 176th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Siedel Foundation.
