On Friday, the government was due to make a statement regarding the issue of a vaccine mandate, as the virus is regaining ground. The announcement has now been postponed to 13 July. MPs will debate the decision the following day.

Will the government follow the recommendations of its experts and introduce a (partial) vaccine mandate? It seems that the government is aware of the sensitive nature of such a decision, as it has postponed its official announcement on the matter to next Wednesday, 13 July.

Five medical professionals unveiled on Tuesday their opinion on a vaccine mandate in Luxembourg, as the Grand Duchy's neighbouring country France is already in the middle of a staggering new wave of infections (over 200,000 cases in 24 hours). And Luxembourg does not remain unaffected either, as the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.5 is (re)infecting an increasing number of people. While the experts remain in favour of a vaccine mandate for people over the age of 50, they are no longer recommending a sectorial vaccine mandate for the healthcare sector.

On Tuesday evening, the Chamber of Deputies announced on its website that the government declaration on the recommendations of the expert group that was planned for Friday afternoon, as well as the parliamentary debate afterwards, would be postponed.

54% of residents supported a vaccine mandate… in November

The Chamber of Deputies wants to give itself more time to debate the issue. This was decided by the Conference of Presidents, which brings together the presidents of the parliamentary groups (DP, LSAP, CSV, Green Party) and which met on Tuesday after the plenary session. The parliamentary groups of the CSV (main opposition party), but also the Green Party (in the government coalition), asked to postpone this debate to have more time to prepare, but also to consult with the experts.

The debate on the experts' opinion will thus take place, but at a later date. The government will announce its official position on Wednesday 13 July in the early afternoon. MPs will have a bit more time to prepare their declarations. The debate in the Chamber of Deputies on the introduction of a vaccine mandate is scheduled for the morning of Thursday 14 July.

In January, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel had already voiced his support for a vaccine mandate for people over 50 and for employees in the health and care sector. He argued that the experts "know more than we do", i.e., the politicians.

In November 2021, a survey revealed that 54% of residents were in favour of a vaccine mandate against Covid-19 to protect society from the consequences of the pandemic.