The Albanian Parliament voted today in favor of making vaccination mandatory for members of Parliament.
In a rare showing of bipartisanship, both the Socialist majority and the opposition agreed that MPs must set the example for the rest of the country by getting vaccinated.
“Parliament is giving [Albanian] citizens a good example today. [Vaccination] is the only way to slow down the pandemic,” said Taulant Balla, leader of the Socialist Party’s parliamentary group.
According to the Albanian Ministry of Health, 747,441 Albanian citizens have been fully vaccinated to date, roughly 26% of the population. This rate is on par with most of the region, but far behind the European Union’s average.
Vaccination uptake in Albania has slowed down despite vaccines being widely available and free, largely because of misinformation regarding the vaccine.
