2021-08-30 14:17 update: 2021-08-31, 13:33
Polish president Andrzej Duda PAP/Radek Pietruszka
The Polish president has said he opposes mandatory vaccinations, saying introducing them would mean overstepping a boundary that "we cannot afford" to cross.
Andrzej Duda’s comment came just after a Cabinet Council meeting which was devoted to the start of a new school year during the coronavirus pandemic.
There are fears that the return of millions of children to classrooms could result in a jump in Covid infections.
"I am against obligatory vaccinations. I believe that this may cause social unrest," said the president, adding that vaccinations are a question of individual responsibility, “and everybody should be responsible for their own actions."
"If people are forced to be vaccinated (against Covid-19 - PAP), we will have a bad social situation which will truly worsen social moods," he continued.
According to Duda, a decision whether to vaccinate a child or not should be taken only by the parents. But he also said that the state should be able to vaccinate everybody who wants a vaccination.
"We must have a situation in which every citizen can receive a vaccine,” he said. “This is the duty of the state authorities to create such a possibility, but not to force anyone."
In Duda's opinion, education programmes are the only way to encourage people to get vaccinated. (PAP)
