{"id":23905,"date":"2021-11-09T09:04:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T14:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23905"},"modified":"2021-11-10T13:07:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T18:07:00","slug":"oneill-raises-human-rights-concerns-over-mandatory-vaccinations-for-healthcare-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23905","title":{"rendered":"O’Neill Raises Human Rights Concerns Over Mandatory Vaccinations For Healthcare Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The British government is set to make vaccination a requirement for frontline NHS staff in England (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Making vaccinations compulsory for frontline healthcare workers in Northern Ireland would raise human rights concerns, Michelle O\u2019Neill has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stormont deputy First Minister Michelle O\u2019Neill has said she would consider any proposal for compulsory vaccines for health staff but stressed she would favor a voluntary approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The North’s Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon, said she did not believe Northern Ireland was at the point where such a policy was required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their comments came ahead of an anticipated move by the British government to make vaccination a requirement for frontline NHS staff in England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re yet to receive that advice from the Health Minister (Robin Swann) here, but certainly I will engage with him on the issue,\u201d said Ms O\u2019Neill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have always been someone who would be more of an advocate of encouraging uptake of the vaccine, educating people as to why it\u2019s so important and I think those people that work in the health service obviously understand that more than most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo let\u2019s have that conversation with the Health Minister and if he brings forward a proposal then I\u2019ll obviously have to consider that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think mandatory vaccines are obviously something that is always going to come with its human rights concerns and others, so we have to take a decision based on having all that information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are ongoing divisions within the Northern Ireland Executive on the issue of whether mandatory vaccine passports should be introduced for entry to hospitality venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Executive has advised venues to carry out Covid entry checks and an official app has been developed to enable people to show proof of their vaccine status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the administration has stopped short of making it a legal requirement of entry, similar to the system operating in the Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue has divided the Stormont administration, with the SDLP and Alliance Party calling for legally enforceable Covid passports for nightlife venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SDLP minister Ms Mallon said she would prefer the Executive to move on vaccine passports at this point, rather than compulsory vaccines for healthcare workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we need to go down that route right now,\u201d she said of making jabs compulsory for frontline health staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe believe as a party that if we were to introduce the Covid certification in the hospitality settings we would see a significant increase in the level of uptake in vaccines particularly among the younger cohort, which we know is comparatively low when we look at other places.\u201d<\/p>\n

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