Graul advocated against vaccine mandates altogether, noting that every individual should be free to choose and that some people are afraid of the jab: “There are people who do not want to get vaccinated, which we should respect. We cannot and must not condemn these people or stigmatise those who do not want to get vaccinated or share a different opinion. We live in a democracy, which means people are entitled to their own opinion. That is what the Prime Minister said on 5 May 2021.”
Petitioner Graul was accompanied by Dr Ochs, who is currently not permitted to work as a physician after violating a number of articles in the deontological code.
Read also: Dr Benoît Ochs banned from practising for one yearMinister of Justice Sam Tanson explained that there is currently no plan to implement a vaccine mandate. Discussions are merely theoretical, she said, and in case the situation were to change, the government would first consult with scientists to asses the proportionality of the measure.
Minister of Health Paulette Lenert was also present and expressed understanding for the worries that people had a year ago. Nevertheless, the situation has become more nuanced today, she said: “Today there is substantial consensus on the fact that if we were to introduce a vaccine mandate, it has to be necessary, effective, and goal-oriented. We know today that the vaccine does not limit the spread of current variants. However, it is still a fact that vaccinated people have a much lower risk of struggling with an infection.”
Graul argued that at no point during the pandemic was there a real threat to the functioning of hospitals, which several MPs and Minister Lenert clearly refuted since several of the institutions were forced to postpone surgeries at various points during the pandemic.
