by In Trieste
Italy is to make COVID-19 vaccine obligatory for all health workers underlining that those who refuse it could face suspension without pay.
The Italian government has made covid-19 vaccines mandatory for all healthcare workers, including pharmacists, in a move that has sparked controversy in Italy.
The order, part of a decree approved by premier Mario Draghi on 31 March, is designed to protect “as much as possible both medical and paramedical staff and those who are in environments that may be more exposed to the risk of infection,” the government said in a statement.
Italian health minister Roberto Speranza also signed a new protocol in recent days allowing pharmacists to administer covid-19 vaccines in pharmacies, in what he termed an “important step forward” in making the vaccination programme “faster and more widespread.”
For official information relating to the covid-19 situation in Italy see the health ministry website.
