Wong: Compulsory vaccination possible but policy remains same

By LULU MARK
THE Government says compulsory Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination is possible in the country, but right now its policy remains “voluntary vaccination”.
Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Jelta Wong was responding yesterday to a statement in Parliament on Wednesday by Abau MP and former Health minister Sir Puka Temu, calling on the Government to sanction mandatory vaccination in light of the very low vaccination rate – “the lowest in the world”.
Wong said: “It is possible, it will give us the immunity that we need to be at (as a country).
“But Government policy is to give people the right to choose.
“We are a democratic country with a Government that gives the people the right of choice.”
Wong said the only way for the vaccination rate in PNG to increase was for the people to go and get the vaccine which was available.
“The only way it will increase is for the mindset of our people to change – from waiting to about to die than going to the hospital for vaccination or check-up to prevent illness,” he said.
Wong stressed that so much awareness on the Covid-19 and its vaccination had been conducted.
“It’s the hottest topic unless people are blind or deaf,” he said.
“If they think we haven’t done enough awareness, tell me where they (Health Department and National Control Centre) haven’t done enough so we can step up.”
According to an update from the NCC yesterday, the vaccination target population was 1,869,379.
So far, 265,820 people had received at least one dose and 193,482 people were fully vaccinated. As of Wednesday, the country had recorded 33,609 cases, with 475 deaths.