‘… status of vaccination is no longer a purely personal matter’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission Dr. Deepika Udagama yesterday (18) backed calls for making vaccination mandatory to curb the rampaging pandemic.

Asked what her stand on calls for mandatory vaccination and whether she had received the vaccine, the outspoken academic told The Island: “One’s own health situation is a private matter. However, in my opinion, in a pandemic situation (public health emergency) the status of vaccination is no longer a purely personal matter. Not only are we entitled to rights, but we also have duties to society. Yes, I am fully vaccinated. I did so after consulting my physician.”

State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control Dr. Mrs. Sudarshini Fernandopulle strongly recommended making vaccination mandatory as there was no other cure.

Noting that some person has recently moved court against making vaccination mandatory, Dr. Udagama emphasized that if the vaccination was to be made mandatory it should be done in terms of the Constitution. Underscoring the importance of achieving the desired objective in a lawful manner (e.g., not via ad hoc press statements) with the State presenting a compelling reason or reasons. Dr. Udagama said that the decision should be based on medical grounds and no other. “It is also a fact that several countries have lawfully (some through statutes) mandated Covid-19 vaccination to at least those who are considered to be most vulnerable,” the academic said underscoring the importance of consensus on this matter.

Trade union activist and former UNP National List MP Saman Ratnapriya, too, told The Island that the country was in such a grave situation making vaccination mandatory seemed to be a step in the right direction. Urging the government to be mindful of the dangerous consequences in further delaying locking down the country, Ratnapriya said though he strongly opposed what he called executive actions, making vaccination mandatory looked right. With the total number of deaths now around 6,500 and climbing amidst a geometrical progression in the number of positive cases, inoculating the population was of paramount importance, the Opposition activist said.

The Island also sought the response of the HRC regarding calls for tougher vaccination policy as a senior spokesperson for the Covid-19 Task Force said that a significant number of people continued to dodge getting vaccinated. Human Rights Commissioner Harsha Kumara Navaratne said that the HRC was scheduled to meet on Aug 24 to discuss the issue at hand. Acknowledging the deterioration of the situation over past two weeks, Navaratne, Sri Lanka’s HC designated to Canada said the HRC would make its stand public after the meeting. Asked whether he had received the vaccination, the former Seva Lanka Chief said that he recognized the requirement for the robust continuation of the vaccination programme.

President of the Government Medical Officers’ Forum who is also the director at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital at Kalubowila Dr. Rukshan Bellana said that tangible action should be taken to make vaccination compulsory though the immediate requirement was nothing but imposing what he called lockdown conditions. “We are at a critical stage with the health sector and the military grappling with the rapidly deteriorating situation. We are being overwhelmed by the challenging task,” Dr. Bellana said, urging the government to act now or face the consequences.

Pointing out that the government shouldn’t create an environment conducive for health sector trade unions to force a lockdown at the expense of the hapless people, Dr. Bellana said. All stakeholders, including the political leadership should respond to Covid-19 threat rationally without exploiting the situation to their benefit, Dr. Bellana said.

An irate Bellana warned all parties concerned to reach consensus on both immediate and short-term plans to meet the challenge. “Lockdown is the immediate need whereas making vaccination compulsory can be the short-term response,” the GMOF President said.

State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana, who is at the forefront of the government’s response to the epidemic, regretted that a section of the population was turning down free vaccination. Some campaigned against the ongoing vaccination drive for political reasons whereas a section did so due to religious beliefs, Prof. Jayasumana said. Making vaccination mandatory would be ideal and would certainly facilitate the vaccination process, the Anuradhapura district MP said.