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Tom Barkhuysen on possible introduction of compulsory vaccination

More and more countries have decided to introduce compulsory vaccination. According to various experts, compulsory vaccination, under certain conditions, could help the situation in the Netherlands.

Tom Barkhuysen

There are also ways in the Netherlands to introduce compulsory vaccination, says Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law Tom Barkhuysen in Dutch current affairs programme EenVandaag. He regrets that this was not considered sooner. 'Already in September, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) indicated that around 2 million people would not be vaccinated. A very small number would refuse to do this at all costs, while others would be sceptical or lax. At the time, there was no policy on this. But there are possibilities if you organise this properly.'

Barkhuysen compares the possible introduction of compulsory vaccination with compulsory military service which used to exist in the Netherlands. It was possible then to refuse on principle, and he envisages the same thing now. 'If you really have strong conscientious objections to vaccination, you could report this to a special committee that looks into it. We used to deal with conscientious objectors in a similar way.’

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