COVID-19 Vaccines Should Be Mandatory, Says Australia’s Prime Minister

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to work its way around the globe, some nations are dealing with the crisis much better than others.

South Korea was a shining example of just how to keep the virus at bay, for example, while some US states are still struggling mightily with the virus.

In Australia, national leaders are now calling for a mandatory vaccination against the illness, as soon as the medical community at large approves such a shot.

Australia should make any coronavirus vaccine compulsory for its 25 million citizens bar medical exemptions, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday, wading into a heated ethical debate.

After reaching a deal for the country to manufacture a “promising” vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, Morrison said getting the jab should be “as mandatory as you can possibly make it”.

“There are always exemptions for any vaccine on medical grounds, but that should be the only basis,” he told radio station 3AW in Melbourne.

The anti-vaccination crowd was incensed at the possibility, however, and were soon taking to social media to express their displeasure.  At times, this angst was accompanied by dubious information regarding the safety of such vaccinations.

Australia has already implemented mandatory vaccinations for children looking to participate in community and school sports programs, lending a precedent to the government’s ability to enforce such an ordinance.