Could the Covid-19 vaccine be made mandatory in Hungary?
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Many questions have been raised regarding the coronavirus vaccine since its introduction. The debate started along the lines of taking/not taking the shot but it recently took a different direction as the possibility of making the vaccine mandatory arose.
ATV cites Lawyer Tamás Gerő who was asked on the topic. He said that there is basically no constitutional obstacle to the introduction of mandatory vaccination against Covid-19 if it is considered that it would pass the test of necessity and proportionality.
That is, mandatory vaccination should be considered only if it is necessary for, and proportionate to, the achievement of an important public health goal.
Tamás Gerő recalled that the Constitutional Court examined the issue in 2007 when parents did not want to give their child the mandatory vaccination.
The court decided that children could not be denied compulsory vaccination for reasons of conscience or religion alone.
Exemption can be requested, but this is only possible for health reasons. “From a constitutional point of view, the decision can also be applied to the Covid-19 vaccine,” the lawyer said, saying the vaccination against the virus might be mandatory if necessary and proportionate.
The key thing here is satisfying ECHR Article 8 with regard to proportionality and right to personal integrity. As a signatory to the ECHR, Hungary’s Constitution is overriden by international law in this matter, Article 8 takes precedence.
It seems that totalitarianism still resides in Hungary…I love vacationing in Hungary, but will not risk my life from an untested experimental vaccine.