Govt says jab remains voluntary

THE Government says the Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination remains voluntary and the National Control Centre is looking at how the Pandemic Act can be tailor-made to also entrench people’s rights.
Prime Minister James Marape said vaccination was one of that policies that was deliberate and was meant to remain voluntary.
Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu told Parliament that he and Lae MP John Rosso received a petition on Monday at the PNG University of Technology campus at the Taraka in Lae.
“The students demonstrated a mature protest (and) in their petition, they asked for vaccination to be made voluntary and not compulsory,” he said.
“The students asked for those who lost their jobs due to the ‘no jab, no job’ policy by businesses in Lae (be reinstated).
“What is the Government’s stand?”
Marape said: “I have a copy of the petition and I thank the students.”
“Vaccination remains voluntary and it is part of the global and our own policy that vaccination is not compulsory.
“We will never make a law for the vaccine to be compulsory.
“It is the citizen’s choice to be vaccinated.
“The sensationalised ideas that are all over social media must not be looked at as information.
“Around the globe, 2.2 billion people have been vaccinated.
“Look at the numbers, bigger Western countries are seeing millions vaccinated. Since when did social media become important in someone’s life? It (social media) does spin information, but measure information against credible information and data.”