The Vatican made clear that it is taking Pope Francis’ provaccine stance against the coronavirus very seriously, noting that any employee who refuses to receive it without a valid medical reason risks being fired.
A decree signed Feb. 8 by the governor of the Vatican city state sparked heated debate on Thursday, as its clauses go well beyond the generally voluntary nature of vaccination against COVID-19 in Italy and much of the world. rest of the world.
The decree underscored the need to protect Vatican employees in the workplace, as well as the guidelines issued by Pope Francis’ own committee of advisers on COVID-19, which has established that there is a moral responsibility to inoculate “given that refusing to receive a vaccine represents a risk for others ”.
The decree warns that Vatican workers who choose not to get vaccinated without offering a medical reason risk facing sanctions that could include “termination of employment.” The Vatican is an absolute monarchy in the heart of Rome that operates independently of Italian law and Italy’s labor protections.
The Vatican, which has about 5,000 employees, is on track to become perhaps the first country to complete its vaccination campaign for adults, after the Holy See’s health service began inoculating staff and their families in early January. with Pfizer vaccines. Pope Francis himself has already received the second dose.
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