The European Commission’s head has suggested that EU nations should consider mandating vaccinations against Covid and the Omicron variant. Ursula von der Leyen said vaccines would be essential in the struggle against the “extremely contagious” new variant.
More than two dozen nations have reported Omicron infections, and the EU has since tightened border controls. While cases in the United States continue to climb, European nations have also seen a significant increase.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that early indicators suggested that most Omicron instances were “mild.”
On Wednesday, Ms von der Leyen said that it was “natural and reasonable” for EU members to discuss compulsory Covid immunizations because a third of the population was unvaccinated.
She said it is high time now we think of mandatory vaccination within the European Union. This subject must be discussed and it needs a common approach to work on it.
During a news conference in Brussels, she said this discussion is necessary to control the Covid-19 contraction. Individual EU nations can force vaccines on their people, albeit not all have done so yet.
Austria is requiring all residents over the age of six months to get vaccinated as of February 2020, while Greece has imposed a fine of €100 (£85) per month on every unvaccinated person aged 60 and older.
The German government’s incoming chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has expressed his support for compulsory vaccinations.
In an interview with Bild television, Scholz said he wanted vaccinations to be required from March and that a faster rollout of booster vaccines was necessary.
The World Health Organization (WHO), which upgraded Omicron’s status to “of concern” on Friday, expects to know more about the new variant within days.
Omicron is swiftly growing in popularity in South Africa, where the average number of cases has doubled Wednesday. The outbreak, officials believe, may be fueled by the variant.
However, the WHO has already stated that it believes existing vaccines will still protect people from severe illness if they contract the new variant.
Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist, was asked about the severity of the illnesses: “There is some indication that some of the patients are showing symptoms at a low level.”
“There is a hint of increased hospitalizations in South Africa, but it’s possible that we have simply more people with the condition. ”
On Wednesday, the United States became another nation to report an infection with Omicron.
Other countries on the list include Nigeria, Norway, and South Korea. To stop the diffusion of Omicron, several nations have beefed up their immigration controls.
However, the WHO expressed concerns about “punitive” travel restrictions imposed on southern African nations.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization Chief, has expressed his concern about “blunt, one-size-fits-all solutions,” which “will only exacerbate disparities.”
Dr Van Kerkhove observed that the South African travel bans had made it difficult for viral samples to be transported.
The United States has already prohibited visitors from eight African countries; it has now mandated airlines to submit passenger information to it.