Public Health amendment bills provide options for compulsory vaccinations [1]
Wednesday, August 25, 2021 - 19:11. Updated on Thursday, August 26, 2021 - 10:07.
From the House by Pesi Fonua
The Whole House Committee of the Tongan Parliament this evening, 25 August, passed two public health bills that aim to give the Ministry of Health, under certain conditions, the power to declare that vaccinations are compulsory.
The two bills, the Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2021-08-25 (New Section 18A Health Emergency) and the Vaccination (Amendment) Bill 2021 will now go back to the Legislative Assembly for their second and third readings, before they become laws.
The Prime Minister and the Minister of Health left the House at 6:00pm to go to Fua'amotu Airport to receive a new batch of COVID-19 vaccines, funded by Japan, that will help Tonga continue with its rollouts.
Currently 43% of the target population in Tonga have volunteered to be fully vaccinated, and as more vaccines become available that number will rise.
The bills introduce powers under a declared period of public health emergency whereby the Chief Executive Officer for Health, “after due consideration of the response to the declared public health emergency, may declare in writing that every person shall be vaccinated.”
The penalties proposed for conviction for non-compliance include a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months, or to both.
For the purposes of the amended section “vaccinated” in relation to a person, means that a person received the recognised and available vaccine under the Therapeutic Goods Act against an emergency notifiable condition declared under section 171 and 172 of the Act.
“Won’t be forced”
At a press conference this morning the CEO for Health Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola, said that the new legislation to make COVID-19 inoculation compulsory “won’t be forced”.
The provisions are there in case unvaccinated people are considered a danger to the rest of the population.
“But the Ministry of Health will be given the authority to think wisely using science and ethical information before issuing a public health order to enforce vaccinations,” he said.