“Not vaccinating when you are a caregiver is unthinkable.“For Nicolas Demoulin, Deputy LREM, caregivers must lead by example, and if they refuse to vaccinate against Covid-19, they will have to do so.”Morally, I don’t understand, he adds. These are the people we rely on the most, they have done an extraordinary job during this crisis. But if there is a new wave, they are the ones who will get back to the front lines again.” An opinion shared by colleagues from La République en Marche Jean-François Eliot, Patricia Miralles, Patrick Vinal and Coralie Dubost.
Emmanuelle Ménard, RN-backed MP supports compulsory vaccination of caregivers: “It’s a shame to get there, but after a while, the government will have to make that decision. Vaccination should be a moral obligation for caregivers and I don’t understand why some people refuse.”
Currently, 65% of hospital caregivers have been vaccinated versus 57% in nursing homes. The numbers are still far from the 80% threshold set by Olivier Veran for the end of the summer. The rate of Covid-19 infection is rising again in eleven regions including Occitanie and the government is already alerting the dangers of a new wave even before the end of August.
It is this perspective that also drives MPs to campaign in favor of this compulsory vaccination. “There is a paradox because those who do not want to be vaccinated with the pretense of liberty risk depriving everyone, including themselves, of liberty within two months.”Nicholas Demoulin points out.
However, LFI MP Muriel Resegger refuses to resort to forced vaccination, whether for caregivers or others: “I fear this will stigmatize caregivers who have already given so much. Hence the commitment could also cause more fear of the vaccine among the French. I am in favor of getting people to think and make the right decisions, not to impose actions to pass them.”.
Divided opinions on the duty of all French
Attitudes are more diverse regarding the compulsory extended vaccination of all citizens. Emmanuel Menard, Coralie Dubost and Patricia Mirales endorse. The two elected LREMs put forward an argument: the French accept other mandatory forms of the vaccine without complaint. “When we travel abroad, we give them vaccinations against tropical diseases, so it doesn’t make sense that we shouldn’t do that for a virus we have here in our country.Patricia Mirales argues. We have an amazing opportunity, which is to get a vaccine when there have been so many deaths, and we have to use it.”
For Emmanuel Maynard, the argument is more radical: “The only way out of this crisis is to eventually vaccinate, if the French don’t, a commitment will have to be put in place.“
For Jean-Francois Eliau and Nicolas Demoulin, obligatory vaccination of all French is unrealistic, but they plan to impose the vaccine on people receiving the public. They emphasize themselves in favor of upbringing more than strong scrolling. “I’d rather suggest than imposeExplains Jean-Francois Elio. I also hope that vaccinating caregivers will be a catalyst for others. Otherwise, it may be necessary to use the health card more systematically.”
One final hypothesis for which Patrick Vignal is fighting: “Forcing the French to vaccinate is, of course, complicated but for those who do not want to do so, restrictions on liberties will be necessary. No more restaurants, no more clubs, no more picnics. It should motivate them to change their mind.”
Whatever their position, all MPs share the same fear: the imminent emergence of the split between vaccinated and unvaccinated. Especially if new strict health measures such as containment or the return of a curfew are applied to stop the arrival of a fourth wave of the epidemic.