Prime Minister Edi Rama has said that anti-COVID-19 vaccines could become mandatory for students and faculty staff.
During a visit to a University of Tirana student residence, he said that vaccination will be needed if students want to continue in their academic life. This is a practice followed by other countries, he said.
“The moment may come, given what’s happening around the world, that vaccination will become mandatory. We must communicate intensively so that when this time comes, no one can say, ‘Why did they not tell us?’.”
Anyone over the age of 18 can be vaccinated in Albania, but uptake appears to have plateaued in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the number of cases is increasing due to the spread of the Delta variant.
COVID-19 vaccines protect individuals from contracting the virus, they also lessen the risk of having symptoms, being hospitalized or, dying if the virus is contracted. Vaccinated people can still transmit the virus to others, but the risk and incidence of this is believed to be lower.
Furthermore, mandatory is not the same as forced.
