Alpha, beta, delta, lamba, omega, epsilon (and a few more) are no longer just Greek symbols used in mathematical and scientific equations but have become labels denoting variants in the fast-expanding list of mutations of the ruthless coronavirus as it spreads and changes in different regions around the world. The strain that is pushing Pakistani government scurrying for action is the spread of the “delta” variant which is considered highly transmissible. As vaccinations speed up, the looming question now is: should the government (and employers) make it mandatory for citizens to get the vaccine?

A few days ago, the Sindh government announced that the unvaccinated population would have to deal with their sims being temporary blocked (by the PTA) until these folks are vaccinated. Employers may also withhold salaries for the unvaccinated employees. This news caused a large number of flustered citizens racing to the vaccination centers which led to massive overcrowding, with chaos erupting soon after that had to involve law enforcement intervention. The Sindh government would need Federal’s go-ahead to implement these drastic policies to inoculate the population, and whether the Center would agree and subsequently implement similar policies is an important question to ask. But should it?

It is true that the pace of vaccination across the country has picked up—last month, the average daily offtake was between 300,000 and 400,000 (“Masks off?”, July 7, 2021)—this capacity has been more than doubled now. At the current rate, the data suggests that there are many regions within the country such as Islamabad that will be adequately vaccinated as early as Sep-21. Cities like Karachi that are heavily impacted by the virus will be vaccinated by Dec-21, while Lahore will be vaccinated by Jan-22. But there are still months to go and the virus is waiting for no one.

Around the world, there are countries that have mandated vaccinations for certain groups such as frontline healthcare workers, and people entering the country from abroad. Some countries have slapped penalties on people not getting the jab, but most countries have left it on their citizens. The World Health Organization (WHO) is not supportive of mandatory vaccinations, even for travellers.

There is a strong reason why mandating the eligible population to get the jab is problematic. Apart from the very solid argument on the freedom to choose what happens to an individual’s body, there is also the relevant concern that the vaccines being developed are not entirely safe. The roll-out of most of these vaccines has been so rapid that there simply is not enough data through clinical trials to assess the efficacy as well as risks, associated to the different vaccines, especially in the long run once they are administered. This exact fact has led to a variety of misinformation and conspiracy theories being churned and spread like wildfire further fanning the hesitancy amongst people already wary of the vaccine. In fact, mandatory compliance can fuel anti-vax sentiment.

The route for the government to take is to ensure informed consent of the citizens and ensure that the supply side of the vaccination program is working like a well-oiled machine. That means, vaccines are procured and transported to vaccination centers in time, the staff and administration are working efficiently so there are fewer gridlocks, and all communication channels are utilized to combat anti-vax propaganda and reduce vaccine hesitancy. At most, the government can incentivize vaccination—perhaps, by giving cash in hand—but that along with imposing monetary penalties raise moral concerns.

This is a complex issue on which debate around the world is still ongoing. Sindh government should focus its energies on informing the publics on the need of the vaccine and dispel misinformation being spread. It should work on raising capacity for vaccinations while also ensuring that current centers are operating better than they have been in the past few weeks.