Hungary will make Covid-19 vaccination compulsory for health care workers, like other European countries before it, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Friday.
The announcement came at the same time as he also announced other measures to boost vaccination.
“We are not in favour of compulsion, but we are making an exception in one area - vaccination will be compulsory for health care workers,” Orban said in his weekly radio address.
He did not say when the measure would take effect.
France announced on Monday, after Greece, Italy and Britain, that vaccination would be compulsory for caregivers and for those working in hospitals, elderly people's homes or with vulnerable people.
Around three-quarters of vaccinated people in Belgium (75%) are in favour of compulsory vaccination for healthcare workers, according to a survey by the University of Brussels (ULB), UGent, KU Leuven and UCLouvain.
Hungary has recorded more than 30,000 deaths from Covid-19 since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, making it one of the most affected European countries for its population of 9.8 million, according to data collected by Associated French Press.
It was also one of the fastest countries in Europe in its vaccination campaign, thanks in part to the use of the Chinese Sinopharm and the Russian Sputnik V vaccines.
The number of cases has fallen rapidly since May, and all anti-virus restrictions were lifted in early July.
But since June, the pace of vaccinations has slowed significantly. In addition to the measure concerning caregivers, Prime Minister Orban also announced on Friday that caregivers would go to the homes of elderly people who have not yet been vaccinated to offer them the vaccine.
A third injection will also be possible beginning 1 August for people whose second injection is at least four months old.
Vaccinations will also be offered to all children over 12 years of age in schools during the two days before the start of the school year on 1 September.
The Brussels Times
