Almost 40 percent of the Dutch will not be vaccinated if a corona vaccine is soon available. This is evident from research of the Heart of the Netherlandspanel of more than 3,000 people. Almost half said they would like to be vaccinated as soon as possible. This is especially true for people over 50.
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Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health emphasized again on Wednesday that a corona vaccine will not be mandatory. According to the minister, it may be the case that groups that have previously been vaccinated do not have to adhere to certain corona rules.
Also read: Minister De Jonge: corona vaccine may be available early next year
Mandatory corona vaccine?
MPs reacted furiously to De Jonge’s comments. If certain corona measures continue to apply for unvaccinated people, it would actually amount to a vaccination obligation, they say. That while the cabinet has always promised that vaccinations are not obligated is going to be.
“That is really a misunderstanding,” says De Jonge. He is only thinking about possible easing for specific groups to be vaccinated first. “It is important to know that if we are going to vaccinate, it will take several months,” the minister explains.
Also read: Minister De Jonge speaks of a ‘misunderstanding’ about the benefit of corona vaccine
“If part of society has already been vaccinated, for example health care workers and people who live in a nursing home, then it is of course no longer necessary for them to comply with the measures,” says the minister. But an obligation is really not on the table, he emphasized again.
That seems a sensible position, because a vaccination obligation can count on little support among the Dutch: more than 60 percent of the participants think that vaccination against corona should remain voluntary. On the other hand, about a third do want the law to be amended so that people can be obliged to take the vaccine.
The Dutch respond variably to a possible vaccination obligation
It Heart of the Netherlandspanel is the opinion panel of Hart van Nederland. The panel currently consists of 35,000 members. Part of the panel is invited for each survey. This is done on the basis of the characteristics of the participants, such as political preference, gender, place of residence, age. All surveys are conducted under the guidance of pollster Maurice de Hond.
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