Italy makes covid vaccines compulsory for over 50s amid surge in cases

The legislation comes into effect next month

Italy is set to make covid-19 vaccines compulsory for over 50s as of February, according to reports. As per Politico, the cabinet is said to have agreed to a mandate that requires those aged 50 or older to provide proof of vaccination or that they have recently recovered from a coronavirus infection to attend work, use public transport or visit venues such as bars and restaurants. The bill is said to have been passed on Wednesday with the implementation due to take place as of February 1. At the moment, those who are still not vaccinated are expected to test every two days in order to go to work but cases have now reached in excess of 190,000, with deaths at the highest level since spring 2020 when the nation was one of the worst-hit by the virus. https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1479014883878449152?s=20 Moreover, over 50s who don’t work will now have to either take up the vaccine or face sanctions. Back in November, Greece began issuing fines to over 60s who refused to get the jab and policy looks to once again be shifting across the globe. Vaccines are already mandatory in Austria with other European countries also considering compulsory legislation as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the continent. Meanwhile, pressure is also mounting in Germany, as an ethics council approved compulsory vaccines in December. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron confessed that while his primary goal is to protect the national population, part of the motivation behind his current covid strategy is to "piss off" unvaccinated people. In the UK, compulsory vaccines have only been implemented for NHS workers and although many are calling for these rules to be expanded further, there are still plenty who oppose the jab, with anti-vax marches being carried out across the UK and Europe.

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