Ecuador makes COVID-19 vaccines mandatory

By Benjamin Flowers: The Government of Ecuador has announced that being vaccinated against COVID-19 will be mandatory for most citizens, the BBC reports.

The move to mandate vaccinations for all eligible people ages 5 years and over, comes in response to the rise in infections and the emergence of more contagious strains of the virus such as the omicron variant. The government justified the move, stressing that the right to health is enshrined in the constitution and must be guaranteed by the state.

Ecuador’s health ministry said that there are enough doses in-country to immunize the entire population, however, those with medical justification will be exempt from the mandate.

The BBC reports that Haiti has a vaccination rate of around 77.2 percent for those receiving two doses; meanwhile over 900,000 people have received a booster shot.

Ecuador has already adopted the use of vaccination certificates which are required to access public spaces such as grocery stores, restaurants, and cinemas. The country has also imposed travel restrictions which it hopes will further contain the spread of the omicron variant.

It has also imposed measures on travelers to try to curb the spread of Omicron, which appears to be more contagious but milder than other variants of the virus.

Worldometer reports that, as of 9:00 a.m. on Monday, December 27, 2021, Ecuador had recorded 540,122 reported cases of COVID-19, 33,641 deaths, and 443,880 recovered patients.

Several other countries, including Austria and Germany, are also moving towards vaccine mandates.

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