As efforts to contain COVID-19 accelerate, the debate on mandatory vaccines has reached a climax.

There have been convincing scientific, ethical and legal arguments about whether people should be forced to vaccinate. Some countries have introduced regulations that require people to show proof of vaccination before they can enter certain public places.

The debate is based on the real fear that new variants continue to emerge in the context of a large number of unvaccinated high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries.

On November 25, 2021, South African scientists announced a new variant, which the World Health Organization named Omicron. This "worrying variant" has plunged the world into chaos-global markets have plummeted, travel restrictions have been imposed on various countries in southern Africa, and health institutions have been on high alert.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (Cyril Ramaphosa) recently announced that the government has set up a working group to make recommendations on the vaccine mission. In my opinion, after three major waves of infections and the deaths of more than 250,000 South Africans in 18 months, this belated announcement can be interpreted as a serious disregard for life, health, the healthcare system, and the economy.

The delayed response raises several questions: How effective is the vaccination mission at this later stage? If and when will it be deployed, what should it look like?

The private sector has already taken action. Various employers and organizations have implemented vaccine regulations in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Labor. Everyone must conduct a risk assessment and interact with employees and stakeholders.

Organizations that have introduced authorization include some of the country’s largest universities, such as the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Western Cape, while other universities such as the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University are developing policies and stakeholder participation .

The successfully implemented vaccine missions show that the staff’s vaccine status has increased significantly. Discovery Limited, a private health insurance company, is a good example. Since the introduction of the mandatory vaccine policy, the vaccination rate for employees has increased from 22% in September 2021 to 94% in November 2021.

Some countries have introduced authorizations. These include France, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands and the United States.

These authorizations initially apply to medical staff who are obliged to protect patients and colleagues from harm. Vaccine passes are now required to enter museums, restaurants, bars, gyms, public transportation and shopping centers.

In my opinion, a strong ethical justification for vaccine authorization must be provided. I agree with the pediatrician and epidemiologist Jeffery Gerber and Paul Offit who wrote in the "Science" editorial:

The choice not to vaccinate is not a risk-free choice; on the contrary, it is a choice to take on different and more serious risks...

What should South Africa's mission look like

To date, only 36.8% of South Africa's adult population has been fully vaccinated-one dose of Johnson & Johnson or two doses of Pfizer. The goal is to cover 70% of the adult population by December 2021.

Obviously, the country is far behind this goal.

The key requirement for any authorization should be to provide a vaccination certificate for entering a high-risk public place that may cause harm to others. These include:

However, mandatory vaccine policies must include exceptions, such as people who have a severe allergic reaction to the first dose of the vaccine or are allergic to specific components of the vaccine.

However, the issue of allowing religious opposition is more difficult.

Most major religions do not explicitly prohibit the COVID-19 vaccine. On the contrary, many religious authorities strongly support COVID-19 vaccination. This is because religious teachings generally advocate sacrificing personal freedom for others, and vaccinations to protect others may be regarded as "an act of love", a moral obligation and care for fellow human beings.

But religious groups have made some arguments about aborted fetal cells. Decades ago, these cell lines were used to create "immortal" cell lines for vaccine and other drug research and many processed food additives. This is the case with studies involving Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, benadrine, zoloft, azithromycin, etc. The current COVID-19 vaccine does not contain aborted fetal cells.

In order to consistently make arguments about aborted fetal cells used in drug development, proponents need to refuse to take various over-the-counter and prescription drugs that they have used for decades. Consistency is an important principle for assessing the sincerity of religious opposition. Objections must also be based on disagreement with the central principle of the religion.

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The objection to authorization was raised using a human rights framework, and some of them advocated personal freedom. However, this approach is irrelevant in the context of a pandemic where the public interest overrides personal freedom.

South Africa is continuing to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic, and the tourism industry is taking a new blow, especially due to the new wave following the announcement of the Omicron variant.

This makes the issue of vaccination tasks even more urgent.

Clinical reports on Omicron indicate that vaccinated people are experiencing a milder version of the disease, while those who are hospitalized are mainly unvaccinated people.

Vaccine authorization will achieve many goals.

It will increase the absorption rate of the vaccine. Secondly, it will protect sanitation and sanitation systems. Third, it will revive the economy and keep it open. Fourth, tourists will be more inclined to visit countries with vaccine authorization, because these countries will be considered safer. This will also lead to economic growth. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

Keymanthri Moodley, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Law, Department of Medicine, Stellenbosch University

This article is republished from The Conversation Africa under a Creative Commons license. Read the original text.

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